


A Rescued Guild Brother

by phoenixquest



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sexual Assault, Thieves Guild, but it happens in chapter 2, not with the main pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-09
Updated: 2014-06-13
Packaged: 2018-02-04 00:37:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1760885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixquest/pseuds/phoenixquest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a bit of bad luck on a job in Solitude, Rune finds himself walking along the road away from the city when it starts to snow. A bit of movement catches his eye, and as he goes to investigate, he realizes it’s his long-missing Guild brother, Etienne Rarnis, unconscious and injured. He brings the man to the nearest town of Dragon Bridge in hopes of saving him, and realizes he can’t keep his feelings about the man hidden any longer.<br/>(Rated for later chapters, and Chapter 2 contains female-on-male sexual assault)<br/>Skyrim and related content does not belong to me, but to Bethesda; I am simply perverting their characters ;)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Etienne fell to his knees, unable to walk any farther. He was far too weak and broken to manage to stay upright. Shivering against the cold, he forced himself onward, crawling despite the pain in his shoulder – he could only use his good arm, but he had no other choice.

The pain didn’t stop with his shoulder; it radiated throughout his entire body, inescapable and horrific. He’d been beaten, tortured, starved…he didn’t even know how long it had been. And now…now he just wanted to get somewhere, anywhere, so someone could help him. Could heal him. So he could _live_.

He’d thought when the Redguard man had come into his cell that maybe his prayers had been answered; it was so strange, seeing a face that didn’t belong to an Altmer. He’d felt the faintest glimmer of hope, but then the man had questioned him nearly as roughly as the elves. After retelling all he knew, the Redguard had at least unlocked his shackles. He’d even given him an iron dagger to defend himself, though Etienne didn’t exactly have the strength to use it.

After escaping through the tunnel with the Redguard man and a wood elf, the Redguard had run off, muttering something about having places to be. The wood elf was gone in another blink of an eye, leaving Etienne in the middle of a snowy forest, no idea where he was and barely able to walk.

Though he couldn’t even manage to walk any longer, he’d at least made it a good distance down a path. What he was heading for he didn’t know, but he could only hope it was something besides the gods-be-damned elves. And food. If he could only get a little bit of food…

After crawling a little while longer – the burning pain in his shoulder making him slower than he could have been – he finally saw, up ahead, what looked to be a road. A road that people may travel on… a road where he might be able to get some kind of help.

Unfortunately, as he was reaching the road, he lost his strength entirely. He was utterly unable to move an inch further, collapsing onto the ground with a muffled cry of pain. 

Maybe, just maybe, he was close enough to the road. Maybe someone would find him. As long as it wasn’t the elves…

Snow started falling then, thick and silent, as Etienne started to shiver. Clad only in a pair of ragged trousers, he had no protection from the freezing weather. He didn’t know how long it was before he fell into unconsciousness.

*****

Rune walked along the road from Solitude, grumbling to himself. He’d only just barely escaped the guards that time. Whatever bad luck was haunting the Guild had certainly found him full-force that day – he hadn’t even gotten the gem he’d been sent for.

 _That_ was going to be a fun thing to explain to the moody Vex.

It was snowing; nothing unusual for the northern area of Skyrim, though it did little to make his journey more pleasant. As the snow started to fall more heavily, he pondered trying to find a shelter amongst some trees or rocks; then again, he knew leaving the road in such conditions would likely only end up with him lost. He’d just have to keep going, because he certainly couldn’t turn back to Solitude – not with the guards on the lookout for him.

As the wind kicked up for a moment, he caught movement from the corner of his eye. His head snapping around, he saw it was only something fluttering in the wind by a bush on the roadside. His mind immediately went to loot; perhaps a fallen knapsack from a caravan or a dropped coinpurse. As he moved closer to investigate, however, he realized it was hair. Dark, golden hair.

That was attached to a man half covered in snow and clearly unmoving.

Smirking, Rune crept closer; the man was either unconscious or dead, and either scenario left it likely that Rune could take whatever he was carrying without trouble.

Once he was next to the man, however, he paused. He seemed to be clad in nothing but ragged trousers, the snow only barely hiding a naked, lash-marked back and bare feet. A flash of concern went through Rune; he couldn’t help it. Thief he was, but he never hurt anyone to steal from them and didn’t take kindly to those who did. He wondered if the poor sod had run into a bunch of bandits or the like; they’d be just the type to leave him on the roadside with nothing to his name, after all.

Kneeling next him, Rune pushed the dark golden hair away from the man’s face, then promptly gasped.

It was none other than his friend from the Guild, Etienne Rarnis – the one they’d all believed either a deserter or dead. Rune felt a horrible, clenching sensation on his heart. He hadn’t been sure he’d ever see his friend again, and under these circumstances…

“Rarnis?” Rune muttered. The man, of course, didn’t answer. Rune pushed him over onto his back, putting a hand on his neck. Yes, there was a heartbeat there – so he was still alive. He looked sickly; his face was pale and sunken, and Rune could see every one of his ribs. On top of that, he was covered in blood and a good number of painful-looking injuries peppered his body – and he was cold, so very cold.

“Rarnis, can you hear me?” Rune asked, shaking the man gently. He got a groan for his efforts, but it was clear Etienne wasn’t going to wake up. It encouraged him somewhat to have gotten _some_ response, however.

He sighed; there was no way he could leave Etienne there in the snow, but he also couldn’t turn around and go back to Solitude. Then he remembered there was a small town that shouldn’t be too much further along the road; Dragon something, he thought it might have been called.

He knew he had to get his friend some help, and so he lifted the man up across his shoulders, determined to get him to the small town – or somewhere with shelter, at least. He was a little worried at how easy the man was to pick up; Etienne’s Breton stature was smaller than Rune’s Imperial body anyway, but he never should’ve been able to lift him so easily. Clearly something horrible had befallen the man, and it hurt Rune very much to see it.

It did make his job easier, though, as he set off determinedly toward what he hoped was the small settlement he remembered. The snow fell harder around them, and he clutched the cold body closer to him.

*****

An hour later, Rune walked across the fearsome-looking dragon bridge – _that_ was the name of the place – and into the town; he was glad he’d remembered properly. With the snowstorm, no one was outside, but a sign hanging in front of a building proclaimed it to be the Four Shields Tavern. If nothing else, he would find shelter, a bed, and food inside. He managed to get the door open despite violently shivering and carrying Etienne, and there was a gasp of surprise as he kicked the door shut again. He turned to see a woman alone at the counter, though she was hurrying around to him.

“What’s happened to you?” the woman asked, worry in her tone. “Not another dragon attack, I hope…”

“No,” Rune said breathlessly. “Just the snowstorm. You have a place I can put my friend? He needs caring for.”

“Clearly,” the woman said, eyeing the unconscious Etienne. “Come on. This way.” She led Rune to an empty room off the side of the inn.

“Thank you,” Rune said gratefully, setting Etienne on the bed as gently as he could. “This little town wouldn’t have a healer, would it?”

“’Fraid not,” the woman said, shaking her head. “A couple lumberjacks and me running the inn, that’s about it.”

“I thought as much,” Rune sighed, rolling his shoulders. Etienne hadn’t been terribly heavy, but the burden had still taken its toll on him after so long. “Well…I guess…can I get some food and mead?”

“That I can do,” the woman nodded. “If you’d like, there’s spare clothes in the dresser, too,” she added, pointing.

“Thank you,” Rune said as the woman left the room.

It was warm and very comfortable inside the inn; the roaring fire in the main room spread the warmth to the small room they were in, and Rune was grateful. He didn’t make a habit of traveling through snowstorms like these without a cloak, and he was chilled to the bone. He could only imagine what poor Etienne must feel, as little as he was wearing.

Rune wasted no time in getting his chilly, soaked armor off, changing quickly into the clean, dry clothing in the dresser. He wanted to do the same for Etienne, but thought he ought to clean the man up first; covered in blood, bruises, and injuries as he was, he clearly needed care.

“Here you go,” the woman said, coming back in to the room and carrying a tray. Two steaming bowls of stew accompanied two mugs of cold mead. “Name’s Faida, by the way. Let me know if there’s anything else you need.”

“Thank you, Faida,” Rune said, taking the tray and setting it on the small end table. “Could you get me a bit of water to clean my friend up? And if you have any healing potions…”

“I wish I did,” Faida said. “Sorry. But I’ll get you some water for him, and all the bandages I can find.” She left again, shutting the door behind her.

Rune bent over the unconscious Etienne, examining him; he wished the man would wake up and be able to tell him what was wrong, but it seemed not to be an option at the moment. He did his best to look him over anyway, and noticed that aside from a lot of bruising and several dozen scars and burn marks, the worst part seemed to be the Breton’s shoulder; the joint was at an odd angle.

Rune had seen it before; the joint had come out of place. He’d been taught how to fix it by a healer, and done it himself on multiple occasions, but it had been years since he’d had to. He didn’t much care for the fact that he had to do it to his friend now, but there wasn’t a lot of choice.

Bracing himself against Etienne so he could get the proper leverage, he grabbed Etienne’s hand firmly and pulled hard. The man groaned, but still didn’t wake; Rune thought that was probably for the best. After a lot of pulling and maneuvering, he finally felt the joint pop back into place and let go, wishing he had a healing potion; it was going to hurt terribly when Etienne awoke.

 _If he wakes up_ , a worried little voice in his head broke in. Rune tried to shove the thought away; he was going to do everything he could to make sure his friend was alright.

The innkeeper brought in a basin full of water then along with several clean rags and a bag full of bandages, wishing Rune luck with caring for the man before leaving again, albeit reluctantly. Rune sat down next to the bed to wolf down his stew, wanting to get it out of the way so he could get on with caring for Etienne.

Rune tried once more to wake the man up when he was finished, but he still couldn’t get any real response. Sighing in resignation, Rune decided to clean him up as well as he possibly could, cleaning the wounds so he could bandage them. He hated how battered Etienne clearly was; it made him ache deeply in sympathy for the man. When he reached the Breton’s face, he lingered overlong with the gentle touches of the soaked rag. It had been so long since he had seen dear Etienne’s handsome face; even sunken and battered, Rune still thought it was gorgeous, and he was hard pressed to stop running his fingers gently over it.

The trousers Rune found didn’t fit Etienne all that well; they were clearly meant for Nords, and being a Breton Etienne was naturally smaller than a Nord man. But it was clear he’d been starved, too; the trousers hung loosely on him but at least allowed him a bit of dignity. Rune felt sick at just how easy it had been to move the man around to get the trousers on him; surely it should’ve been a more difficult job, had Etienne been healthier.

At the very least, now the Breton was clean and bandaged properly so he wouldn’t likely get an infection. Rune covered him up with the furs that lay on the bed, wanting to make sure he was warm; he didn’t see any signs of frostbite on Etienne’s fingers or toes, somehow, and he didn’t want to push his luck.

Rune was just staring at the other bowl of stew, contemplating if he could get any of it into Etienne’s stomach without waking him when the other man suddenly shifted on the bed, whimpering slightly.

“Rarnis?” he murmured, sitting on the edge of the bed and putting a hand on the man’s leg.

“Don’t,” Etienne whimpered, his eyes shut tight. “Not now…I can’t…please.”

“Rarnis, it’s okay,” Rune said, his heart clenching at the fear in Etienne’s voice. “It’s just Rune. You’re alright.” Etienne’s eyes opened – one was swollen so much it couldn’t open very far – and he looked shocked.

“R…Rune?” he whispered in disbelief. “You’re not…oh, gods, did they get you, too?”

“No one got me,” Rune said reassuringly. “You’re safe, Rarnis.” He wished he could know what had happened and why his friend was so scared.

“You’re…are you real?” Etienne asked, clearly not daring to believe it. “You’re…a dream. A spell?”

“No,” Rune said, squeezing Etienne’s leg gently. “I’m real, my friend. You’re safe now; I found you on the side of the road, in the snow.”

“Rune,” Etienne murmured brokenly, still staring in shock at his friend. “Rune…I...thought I’d never see you again.” Rune thought he saw tears in the other man’s eyes.

“It’s okay,” Rune comforted. Etienne reached for his hand with the arm with the injured shoulder and groaned in pain. “Easy, friend,” Rune said quickly, taking Etienne’s hand gently. “Your shoulder was out of place; I’ve fixed it, but take it easy.”

“Gods,” Etienne gasped, overcome with pain. “That…that hurt.”

“I know,” Rune said sympathetically. “Listen, we’ve got some mead – it’ll help, if you’re up to drinking it.”

“Mead?” Etienne whispered, as though the very idea was foreign to him. Rune nodded. “Do you have…do you have food? Anything?”

“Yes,” Rune said, squeezing Etienne’s fingers; circumstances aside, it gave him a small thrill to be holding Etienne’s hand. He wished he could comfort the man further. “Hot stew. I tried to wake you for it before, but you wouldn’t budge.”

“Oh, gods,” Etienne groaned. “Food…oh, _please_.”

“Alright,” Rune said gently, getting up off the bed for a moment. He leaned down to wrap his arms around Etienne, propping the man up a little so he wouldn’t choke trying to eat. A few groans and winces of pain later, Etienne was in a somewhat-seated position, and Rune set the tray on the man’s lap, handing him the spoon. He would’ve been happy to feed him, of course, but he didn’t want to make Etienne feel worse.

“Thank you,” Etienne said weakly, bringing the spoon to his lips with a shaky hand. He spilled some of the stew and so Rune reached over to help steady his hand. Etienne gave him a small smile. The sight of his swollen eye still made Rune ache.

“Of course,” Rune said. “Just take it easy. Take your time.” Etienne nodded, taking the man’s advice and going slow. “Where were you?” Rune finally asked. “Where have you been for so long?”

“The Thalmor,” Etienne said, a waver of fear in his voice. “The Thalmor…captured me.”

“Gods,” Rune said, horrified. “You’re not serious?” Etienne nodded.

“Very serious,” Etienne said. “Grabbed me in the Ratway. It’s been…how long’s it been?”

“Six weeks since we last saw you,” Rune informed him. “They took you without a trace.”

“Not surprising,” Etienne said, shaking his head. “Ugh. Six weeks. Mercer furious?”

“You know Mercer,” Rune said with a half-smile, continuing to help Etienne eat. “He barely notices anything. Brynjolf’s been beside himself wondering about you, though.”

“He’s a kind man,” Etienne murmured. “The rest?”

“We…we’ve all been worried,” Rune admitted. “I didn’t…I had no idea what happened to you.” It had been hell, truthfully; he cared for Etienne more than the Breton knew, and knowing something had happened but unable to find out what had driven him mad.

“I missed you,” Etienne said, finishing his last bite of stew. Rune’s heart leapt. “I – I mean – I – “ he sounded anxious.

“I missed you, too,” Rune said, taking Etienne’s hand properly again as he set down his spoon. “Truly.” Etienne smiled weakly.

“Thank you,” Etienne murmured. “For saving me.”

“Of course I did,” Rune said, squeezing the other man’s fingers. He couldn’t help himself, and found his other hand coming up to cup the Breton’s cheek. “It was snowing like crazy…I wasn’t going to leave you on the side of the road.”

“I thought I was a goner,” Etienne said, closing his eyes and leaning into Rune’s touch.

“How did you get away?” Rune asked. “If they had you…”

“Some Redguard man,” Etienne said. “Came in and questioned me just like them…I was sure he was with them, but then he let me go. He got me out of there…and then took off.”

“With you in this state?” Rune asked angrily. “In the middle of nowhere, with the snow?”

“Yeah,” Etienne murmured. “But at least he got me out.”

“Well, whoever he was, he could’ve at least gotten you to safety, to a temple or something somewhere,” Rune said, incensed. It wasn’t often he got truly angry; he was a fairly peaceful person. But this…this made him angrier than anything he could remember. The nerve of this Redguard!

“It’s alright,” Etienne said, leaning more heavily on Rune’s hand now and gazing at him, the one eye still mostly swollen shut. “My guardian spirit saved me.”

Rune stared back at Etienne, unable to take his eyes off the other man’s handsome face, brushing his cheek with a thumb without realizing it. Gods, but he had missed him…and how he wished he’d confessed his feelings before. A feeling swelled up inside of Rune, a kind of happiness that brought with it a sort of need…and before he could stop himself, he leaned over and kissed Etienne firmly on the mouth.

Etienne made a noise of surprise, but he didn’t move to pull away, and now that Rune felt Etienne’s soft lips under his own, he couldn’t make _himself_ pull away. In fact, he couldn’t help deepening the kiss; he slid his tongue along Etienne’s slightly-parted lips and felt ecstatic when the Breton responded in kind, flicking his tongue out along Rune’s.

Rune forced himself to take a deep breath and pull away now; even if that hadn’t been improper, his friend was still very injured and he wasn’t about to push anything. Daring to open his eyes, he saw Etienne looking back at him, eyes shining with tears, one still half-shut.

“Etienne…I’m sorry,” Rune murmured, his hand still on the other man’s face. “I didn’t mean to…to hurt you or anything…”

“No,” Etienne whispered thickly. “No, Rune – I – that was – I’ve wanted that from you for ages.” Rune felt his face split into a massive grin, and saw Etienne’s lips turn up in response.

“Me, too,” Rune answered honestly. He laughed softly then, hardly daring to believe what had just happened, and scooted closer to Etienne, pulling the man into his arms and holding him. “I’m so glad you’re alright, Rarnis,” he murmured into Etienne’s hair, keeping his hold gentle so as not to hurt the man.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Etienne replied, speaking into Rune’s shoulder. “Gods, Rune…I’m so lucky…”

“I’m just sorry for everything that happened,” Rune said. “I wish I could’ve…known, or something. Could’ve found you.”

“That’s alright,” Etienne said. “You saved me now.”

They sat like that for a bit longer, Etienne simply taking comfort in Rune’s embrace, Rune simply enjoying having the man in his arms.

“Rune?” Etienne finally said, a slight sniffle following the word.

“Hmm?” Rune asked, his hand stroking Etienne’s back gently.

“Starting to hurt my shoulder a bit,” Etienne confessed.

“Oh!” Rune said quickly, gently adjusting Etienne so he was partially sitting up again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…”

“Don’t be,” Etienne said. “I…I needed that.” Rune smiled, grabbing one of the mugs of mead and handing it to Etienne.

“Anytime,” he told the other man sincerely.

Rune sat and gently rubbed Etienne’s leg, trying to be as comforting as he could, while the Breton drank both mugs of mead – it certainly helped the pain. Very soon, however, Etienne was rather drowsy, and Rune helped him lie down comfortably to sleep.

“Thank you,” Etienne murmured again, wishing he could do more to express his gratitude. He couldn’t think of anything grand enough to be appropriate to how grateful he felt, but he hoped maybe he’d eventually come up with something.

“You’re welcome,” Rune said kindly, keeping Etienne’s hand in his even as the Breton’s eyes closed. “Just rest. You’re alright now.” Etienne fell asleep with the smallest of smiles on his lips.

Rune sat and watched him for the longest time even after the Breton slept; his feelings for the other man had hit him full force with that kiss, and they were raging inside him now, making him desperate to simply stay close to Etienne.

A soft knock sounded on the door then, and Rune regretfully got up to answer it. The innkeeper was standing there, and as soon as the door opened, she tried her hardest to look around Rune and see his friend.

“Something wrong?” Rune asked, disgruntled.

“Ah – no,” the innkeeper said, looking disappointed. “Is your handsome – I mean,” she giggled, “your friend, of course – is he awake?”

“He was,” Rune frowned at the woman, “but he’s asleep again. He’s been through a lot.”

“So I saw,” she smirked. “We don’t usually get any handsome strangers around here. Do you need any help with him or anything? Anyone to…stay with him, perhaps? Clean him up?”

“No,” Rune said possessively, not liking the woman’s attitude at all. “I’ve got it. He’s fine.”

“Alright,” the innkeeper sighed, still trying to see around Rune. She had a predatory look in her eyes, and Rune wished he’d had somewhere else to take Etienne. “Well, I’m turning in for the night, so if you need anything else…”

“Right,” Rune said. “I think we’ll be fine. Good night.” He promptly closed the door, not wanting to prolong the conversation. He felt a strong desire to hit her for her behavior; she hadn’t done anything _wrong_ , it was true, but he got a very bad feeling from her nonetheless. Why should she be so interested in Etienne?

Rune rationalized that he was likely just being jealous, but it didn’t matter; so what if he was jealous? He knew Etienne cared for him as well, that much was clear. He was _allowed_ to be jealous.

And he was allowed to not care at _all_ for the woman who seemed so interested in his friend.

Rune sighed, shaking his head as he found the bedroll underneath the bed where Etienne slept; the bed was quite small, and Rune didn’t think it would be appropriate to crawl into it with him without even having asked. He settled in, however, and managed to sleep quickly.

*****

“No…please…gods no,” Etienne was whimpering. “Please stop…no!” Rune jumped, awakening at once.

“Etienne?” he whispered into the dark room.

“No…gods, I swear, I don’t know anything else,” Etienne choked. His voice was thick, and Rune could hear he was crying. Another nightmare. His heart squeezed in his chest as he got to his feet, stumbling over to the bed.

“Etienne,” he said firmly, shaking the other man. “Wake up, now. It’s alright. Only a nightmare.”

“No…” Etienne sobbed. “Please…I can’t…ahhh….” Every begging word felt like a knife in Rune’s heart.

“Rarnis, wake up!” Rune said, his voice louder. “Come on, now! Wake up, you’re having a nightmare. You’re safe!”

“No!” Etienne choked, jerking away from Rune’s touch, though he did finally wake up. A sniffling sob escaped him. “Don’t hurt me…”

“Shh,” Rune soothed, putting his hand gently back on Etienne’s arm. “It’s alright. It’s just me, Etienne. Rune.”

“Rune,” Etienne said thickly, a whimper in his voice. “Rune…gods. Yes. I – sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Rune said gently, rubbing his arm. “Don’t worry about it. You were just having a nightmare.”

“Didn’t mean to wake you,” Etienne choked out.

“Shh,” Rune said. “Don’t worry about it, I’m fine. Are you alright? Can I…what can I do?” He wanted desperately to help, but he didn’t know how.

“N-nothing,” Etienne said. “I – I’m fine. Just – sorry.” Rune could feel how the other man couldn’t stop shaking. He sighed softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed, gently stroking Etienne’s hair again, pulling a few stray strands back from his face. He wished he could see him better.

“Just relax, my friend,” Rune soothed. “It’s all okay now. You’re safe. I promise.” Etienne let out a shuddering breath.

“I know,” he finally said, his voice still thick. “I’m being ridiculous.”

“No,” Rune argued, taking his hand again. “You aren’t. You’re fine, Etienne.”

“Rune…” Etienne trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

“What is it?” Rune asked at once. “What can I do for you? Anything.”

“Just – I want – agh, just stay here, will you?” Etienne finally managed to make himself say.

“I haven’t gone anywhere,” Rune said gently. “Don’t worry. I’ve been right here, on a bedroll on the floor.”

“No,” Etienne said pitifully. “I mean…here.” Then Rune understood; Etienne wanted him to stay _with_ him, in the bed - to be close to him.

“Alright,” Rune agreed. He settled himself into bed behind Etienne, putting an arm around him and trying to be careful of his wounds and his shoulder. He kissed the back of his head. “Just calm down. You’re okay. I…I’m here.” He felt Etienne choke out another sob at that, holding Rune’s arm closer to his chest.

“Thank you, Rune,” Etienne sniffled. “I just…thank you.”

“Of course,” Rune murmured, trying to be as comforting as he could. He wished he could take the memories away from his friend.

Soon enough, Etienne had relaxed again into Rune’s arms. Despite the circumstances, Rune couldn’t help but feel a little glad; here he was, holding Etienne in his arms, like he’d thought about so often. He wished it could be for a happier reason, but if this is what Etienne needed at the moment…it’s what he’d happily give.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Etienne tries to recover well enough to get out of Dragon Bridge, but someone has other plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter could prove to be triggery for some people! There is a description of female-on-male sexual assault. I do not want anyone being unduly upset by this, so PLEASE don't read if you don't think you can handle it!

“Rune.” A voice interrupted Rune’s sleep, and he looked groggily around. “Rune!”

“What?” Rune snapped; he was not a morning person, and he felt incredibly disoriented.

“Bit of help, mate?”

Rune finally managed to realize it was Etienne’s voice, and remembered everything from the night before. Etienne, however, was not right next to him.

“Rarnis?” Rune asked, pushing himself to a sitting position. Light was coming in the high windows; it was morning. “What – oh!” He finally spotted the other man, slumped against the side of the bed on the floor, pain written all over his face. “What the hell happened?” He managed to get out of the bed now.

“Tried to get up,” Etienne said tightly. “Turns out it wasn’t a good idea.”

“Dammit, Rarnis,” Rune muttered, leaning down to pull the man to his feet using his good arm. “You’re going to kill yourself anyway. Why did you even get up?”

“Needed the privy,” Etienne explained, reddening slightly.

“Well, next time wake me up first,” Rune said grumpily, his hold tight on Etienne’s waist. “Divines.”

“Sorry,” Etienne said sheepishly as Rune helped him walk out of the room. “Mead wore off.”

“Obviously,” Rune said, shaking his head. He spotted the innkeeper talking to a couple of men at a table across the room. He called her, trying to keep his voice polite despite his annoyance with her the previous evening. She looked up, coming quickly over to them.

“Good morning,” she said. “What can I get for you? Anything I can… _help_ with?”

“Where’s your privy?” Rune asked through gritted teeth. If she didn’t stop implying she wanted Etienne, he was going to punch her nose in – woman or not.

“Oh,” she said, nodding. “Second door right there. Listen, is there – “

“I think I’ve got it,” Etienne said dryly to her, seeming just as annoyed as Rune. “Thanks.”

“Some breakfast, please,” Rune added. “And more mead for my friend.”

“Alright,” Faida said, shaking her head. Rune could tell she was disappointed again, but she walked off and Rune helped his friend to the door she’d indicated.

“Thanks,” Etienne muttered. “I – ah – think I’ve got it from here.”

“Right,” Rune nodded, giving Etienne a small squeeze before letting him go. Etienne wobbled a little but managed to grab the wall and keep himself upright, so Rune shut the door behind him, going back toward the bar.

“So what’s your story, traveler?” the innkeeper asked, seeing him. “What’d you do to your friend, there?”

“I didn’t do anything to him,” Rune said, disgruntled. As if _he_ would have hurt the man like that! “I found him on the roadside like that.”

“He’s a handsome thing, even if he is all bony,” Faida smirked. “As I said last night, we don’t get a lot like that around here. Gets a bit lonely, you know. But still, a little bit of good, honest labor’d put some muscle on him for sure.”

“He’s been starved,” Rune said coldly. “And I happen to think he’s just fine.” She stared at him in surprise for a moment before she started to laugh.

“Oh, you think he’s _that_ kind of a friend,” she giggled. “Seems to me he’s more the type to prefer a good, strong woman, but…”

“Oddly enough, I don’t really care what you think about it,” Rune said, his cheeks reddening a little. “All you need to know is that I paid for food and I expect to receive it.”

“Oh, alright,” the woman said, continuing to smirk. Rune stared broodingly at the bar while she continued to prepare their food. Shortly he heard a knock on the privy door; he hurried back to it.

“Rarnis?” he said.

“Can’t get the door open,” Etienne’s weakened voice came from the other side. Rune’s heart clenched at how weak his friend was.

“Here,” Rune said, pushing the door open to see Etienne leaning against the wall, gripping his bad shoulder. “You…ah…done?”

“Yeah,” Etienne nodded. “Just…need to lie down.”

“Okay,” Rune said kindly, putting his arm around Etienne again and holding him tightly for support. Rune just got Etienne settled on the bed when Faida came in with a tray.

“I’ll just be out at the bar if you need anything else,” she said, giving a wink to Etienne. The man seemed in too much pain to notice, but Rune was ready to throttle her. Fortunately, she walked out again then, leaving them alone.

“Here,” Rune said, settling the tray of food on Etienne’s lap. “How’s your shoulder doing?”

“Hurts to Oblivion,” Etienne said, shaking his head. “But better than yesterday.”

“Good,” Rune nodded, sitting next to Etienne. “Soon as you’re doing a little better, we can head to Markarth; there’s got to be a healer there somewhere. They have a temple, don’t they?”

“Er, yeah,” Etienne said, reddening. “A Temple of Dibella.” Rune snorted; not so much a place for healers, then.

“I see,” he said. “Well, they have to have healing potions, at the very least.”

“I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere soon,” Etienne said ruefully after downing half his mead. “Couldn’t even walk across the room without help.”

“I know,” Rune said sympathetically. “I’m thinking about going myself, but I’m not sure I want to leave you here…”

“Yeah, I don’t fancy being stuck here with only Miss Interested to help me,” Etienne said with a small grin.

“I’ll be making sure she makes up for it, whether she knows it or not,” Rune smirked. “But after breakfast, I can go check out the town. Who knows what some of these people might have lying around their houses.”

“True enough,” Etienne said as he ate. He grimaced. “Gods. It almost feels strange to be eating properly again.” Rune felt a pang of sadness at that, but didn’t know what to say. He put a comforting hand on Etienne’s leg instead, earning a smile from the other man. “Thanks for this,” Etienne added. “For feeding me and everything. Can’t even pay for anything, I’m afraid…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Rune said, waving his hand dismissively. “The way she’s acting, I’m going to take back every septim I gave her anyway.”

“Good,” Etienne chuckled. He sighed then, pushing the rest of his breakfast away. “I don’t think I can eat any more.”

“That’s alright,” Rune said, taking the half-empty bowl. “Just…eat when you can. You’ll…you’ll heal.” Etienne smiled at him, and Rune’s heart leapt at the simple gesture. “So…how did the Thalmor end up with you anyway?” Rune wanted to know.

“That bastard, Gissur,” Etienne said, referring to the lowlife thug who hung out in the Ratway and sometimes the Flagon. “He started asking me questions about this old man the Thalmor were looking for. I told him I’d seen an old man in the Ratway, and he seemed a little crazy. You know the one I mean?”

“I do,” Rune nodded. “Sneaky one. Keeps to himself a lot. They’re after him?”

“That’s just it,” Etienne said, frowning. “I don’t know if it’s him. Man named Esbern. They seemed to like what I told them, but they thought I knew more than that.”

“What else did they want?” Rune asked.

“I don’t even know,” Etienne said, shaking his head weakly. “Kept asking me what this old man’s name was, but I’ve no idea. Do you?”

“Not at all,” Rune said, shaking his head. “Never knew a name for him.”

“He even live in the Ratway?” Etienne asked. “That’s what else – wanted to know where to find him.”

“No idea,” Rune said. “I’ve seen him running through the tunnels, but I’ve never seen him go inside anywhere.”

“Well, gods help the poor bastard if they find him,” Etienne said. Rune couldn’t help but agree.

*****

Rune had left an hour ago, and Etienne was lying back on his pillows, trying to find a position that was comfortable. Despite his friend having set his shoulder properly, Etienne was still in rather a lot of pain; the mead helped, but it could only do so much.

Rune had kindly left two extra bottles of the stuff at Etienne’s bedside before leaving, promising to be back quickly. Etienne had grinned fondly at his friend; he was more grateful than Rune could know for the reassurances and simply his presence. It almost seemed hard to remember he wasn’t in the clutches of the Thalmor anymore…he wasn’t in their blasted dungeon.

Rune reminded him of that, with his hesitant, reassuring pats on the leg or the arm, his gentle fingers twining with Etienne’s for only a moment before he seemed to shy away. Etienne wasn’t that surprised the other man would act like that; they’d always been good friends, of course, but neither had ever ventured beyond that.

Not until last night.

Etienne could swear he still felt Rune’s gentle kiss against his lips, if he concentrated hard enough. He wanted the man to do it again; he was in no shape to initiate it. But Rune was careful, hesitant; he almost seemed afraid he was going to scare Etienne off.

Etienne, on the other hand, was nearly as hesitant himself. Particularly as Rune was his only source of assistance at this point in time, he didn’t want to say anything to make the other man uncomfortable. He was positive Rune wouldn’t desert him, but if he made things strange between them…he didn’t think he could stand it.

For now, he was happy enough to have the occasional consoling touches of the other man. But perhaps when he was feeling better…

If he _ever_ felt better, he thought miserably. It felt at the moment as though he’d be stuck in this misery forever. Groaning, he tried to adjust again, wincing when it jiggled his shoulder.

Rune had even been kind enough to rustle up a few books for Etienne; he tried to read one-handed and keep his shoulder still, but it was difficult, and his thoughts kept straying to Rune far more than the words on the page. Those gentle fingers touching his, stroking his cheek, running through his hair…caring so kindly for him as Rune cleaned the torture-inflicted wounds…the soft touch of the other man when he put his arms around Etienne in the middle of the night, calming him from his nightmare…

“Knock knock,” a voice said, startling him as he looked over and realized the door was open. He stiffened slightly, recognizing the innkeeper woman. She made him anxious; really, any stranger would at the moment, but there was something absolutely predatory about her that he didn’t like at all.

He wished Rune would come back.

“Hello,” he said, wishing his voice wasn’t so shaky. He wanted to be polite; after all, the woman had given them a room and fed them, leaving Etienne far healthier than he’d be if he’d stayed stuck in the snow.

“I noticed your friend left a bit ago,” the woman said, inviting herself into the room and approaching Etienne. He gulped. He found himself unnaturally conscious of the fact that he was not wearing a shirt of any kind. She shut the door behind her.

“Yeah, I think he – ah – wanted to get to know some of the locals,” Etienne answered. It was obviously a bad idea to inform her of Rune’s real goal.

“Poor thing,” the woman clucked sympathetically. “Can’t believe he left you all alone.”

“He didn’t leave me,” Etienne frowned. “I can’t really do much, but I don’t expect him to sit here all day just because I have to.” She walked closer to him, standing at the edge of the bed now, and Etienne started to feel very nervous. It was clear what she wanted from him, but he definitely wasn’t interested.

“You look like you could use a little company,” she said suggestively, and put a hand on his leg. He twitched it, trying to jerk out of her grasp, but she didn’t take the hint and he was too weak to move much on his own. He was all too aware of how much larger she was than him. “I can provide that.”

“Er, thanks,” Etienne said shakily. “But…I’m good.”

“Don’t worry,” she positively purred, sitting on the edge of his bed and pressing up against him. “Your friend doesn’t need to know.”

“You know,” Etienne said, trying to keep his wits about him, “I’d really be more comfortable if you left.” He knew she wasn’t trying to hurt him, not like the Thalmor, but the trapped feeling from the dungeon was threatening to overwhelm him anyway.

“You don’t have to say that,” the innkeeper smiled. “Don’t worry. You’re not taking advantage of me or anything.”

“Be hard to,” Etienne said, licking his dry lips and trying to stop trembling. “Can’t move much.”

“That’s alright,” she grinned. “I can do most of the…work.” She trailed a hand down his chest; he managed to lift his good arm to push her weakly away, but she just giggled and returned. “Shh,” she said. “Just relax…and enjoy. I get awful lonely around here, you know – it’s nice to have someone new around.”

Etienne had passed the point of protesting; he was far too anxious to form coherent words. Why couldn’t he stop shaking? Why couldn’t his tongue just unglue itself?

“That’s better,” the innkeeper laughed softly, trailing her fingers all over his torso. He flinched. “So thin,” she clucked, her fingers trailing over his ribs. His cheeks burned. “You’d look a lot more handsome with some muscle on you, you know.” He felt further shamed; it was hardly _his_ fault he’d been starved nearly to the point of death. Being reminded of just how unattractive he was at the moment, though…

“I – I just – “ he tried to defend himself, though his voice caught in his throat. She laughed again.

“It’s alright,” she said, clearly thinking her voice kind. He only heard a menace, though. “I’m sure you’ll be plenty attractive if you just work for it a bit.” 

This crushed him. He wasn’t exactly vain, but he’d never been called unattractive before – particularly not by someone clearly intent on violating him. He still couldn’t speak.

“I can work with this for now, don’t worry,” she teased, bringing a hand up to his hair. She made a face as she touched it; he’d not bathed often in the custody of the elves. “Eeugh. You could use a bit of a bath, too, couldn’t you, love?”

“Leave me alone,” Etienne forced out, surprising himself. He tried once again to push her hand away, and again she just grinned.

“I don’t mind,” she said. “I could help you with that, if you’d like.”

“No,” Etienne said. “Get – get out.” She pouted.

“Oh, come on,” she murmured. “You’re much too lovely to stay stuck in this lonely room. You deserve a lady like me to get you feeling better. You friend won’t be back anytime soon - he won’t find out.” Etienne’s stomach clenched; what if she was right? What if Rune didn’t come back? He was too weak to even push her hand off him; he certainly couldn’t fight her off. But her touch was making his skin crawl.

He cursed his useless tongue and the tear he felt roll down his cheek. She didn’t seem to be paying any attention to that as her hand ran up his leg, up his thigh.

“No,” he choked out, twitching again. “P-please.”

“There you go,” she crooned, smiling and still ignoring him, cupping him through his trousers. She seemed to mistake what he was begging for – whether intentionally or not he couldn’t tell. Unfortunately, he felt himself start to respond to her touch, desperately though he didn’t want to. Her grin only widened. “That’s it, dearie. Enjoy.”

“No,” Etienne murmured sadly. By the gods, why did he have to be so weak? Why was he doomed to be prey, again and again? Why couldn’t the world just leave him alone?

Clearly, nothing was going to deter this woman, and he had no strength at all to be able to resist her. There was nothing he could do…and she was content to keep going. He might as well have been chained to the wall again.

Etienne pulled away in his mind. He employed the same strategy he always tried to use when the elves were being particularly cruel; think of something else. Pretend he was anywhere else. Back in the Flagon, sharing a drink with his family…

He barely even felt her touch as she continued. He barely noticed her undoing his trousers. He didn’t pay any attention to her fingers as they slid across his member; the traitorous organ was egging her on without any consent from his own mind.

She finally seemed pleased when she made him spill; he barely noticed that, either. He took no pleasure from it; he felt it – an odd release of pressure – but all it made him feel was disgusted. He felt used; dirty. Awful.

He missed Rune.

“There, now,” the woman purred, pulling away and leaving him covered in his seed. “That’s better, isn’t it? Trust me – you bulk up and start to look normal, you’ll be getting plenty more of that. Not a woman that could turn you down! Maybe I’ll even come back later.” She giggled, waved her fingers, and left the room, uncaring of the state of him.

Etienne tried to sink into his pillows, to block out the memory of her touch, of her violation. All he could do was cry.

*****

A few hours later, Rune trotted up to the inn on a horse, freshly stolen from a bandit camp on the road to Markarth. He’d been pleased with his find; Etienne couldn’t walk to Markarth, but he could ride with Rune’s help.

Upon finding no healing potions whatsoever in any of the few houses in the small town, he’d decided Etienne would likely be safe enough for the time being and headed off toward Markarth. He figured his friend was probably sleeping anyway, and maybe if he could get to the city, he could at least bring a healing potion or two back.

It had been pure luck he’d run into the bandit clan, and even luckier that he’d managed to grab a horse and get away before they’d noticed. Possibly the luckiest turn he’d had in a long time, but he wasn’t going to complain.

He walked cheerfully into the inn, even giving a smile at the innkeeper and her three patrons; he was feeling much happier with the idea of getting his friend out of this little town and to a possibility of healing properly. The innkeeper gave him a smirk he didn’t like at all, but he simply ignored her, heading into the room where Etienne had stayed. A glance told him his friend was indeed awake and sitting up, just as he’d left him, so he turned to shut the door, feeling pleased.

“Hey, friend,” Rune said. “Sorry I took so long.” He hurried over to his pack on the floor, gathering his things. “Decided to head for Markarth, and got lucky; nabbed us a horse to get us both there! Good, eh?” Etienne didn’t respond, and Rune finally turned to look at him properly. “Rarnis?” Etienne looked at him with tortured eyes, still not speaking. Rune could see Etienne’s eyes were puffy and red, and he looked tormented beyond anything. “You have another nightmare?” He hurried to the bedside, sitting next to him and taking his hand. He was genuinely frightened that Etienne wasn’t responding. “Etienne,” he said softly. “What happened?”

Instead of responding, Etienne managed to use his good hand to move the blanket that was over his lap. Rune looked down, slightly embarrassed at the sight of Etienne bare and covered in seed.

“That’s all?” Rune asked softly, his eyes going to Etienne’s. Clearly the man was embarrassed; it looked like he’d fallen asleep and it happened then. But it was hardly a big deal. “Don’t worry. I’ll clean you up.” He started to get up, but Etienne finally spoke.

“It…was her,” Etienne croaked. Rune’s head snapped back to Etienne.

“What?” he demanded sharply.

“The…the innkeeper,” Etienne said, trying to clear his throat, though his voice stayed rough. “She…”

“She what?” Rune demanded, clutching Etienne’s hand. “Tell me what she did, Etienne.”

“She…she…I couldn’t stop her.” Rune could see tears pooling in the man’s eyes. “I wasn’t…wasn’t strong enough.” Rune felt rage boiling through his veins, but it was calmed slightly by the sight of Etienne’s tears; the man needed him right then much more than he needed to go murder the innkeeper.

“Etienne,” he said softly. “I’m so sorry. I should never have left you.” He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “Are you – are you alright?”

“Sure,” Etienne choked. “Just...disgusting.”

“You aren’t,” Rune said firmly, gripping Etienne’s arm. “No. It’s her that’s disgusting. Just…just let me get you cleaned up, alright? Is that okay?” Etienne nodded, and Rune got up at once, going to the washbasin the innkeeper had at least refilled with clean water.

He gently cleaned Etienne up; it wasn’t terribly difficult to keep his mind on the task instead of desire. After knowing what had occurred, _those_ thoughts were furthest from his mind. Once he was finished, he did the man’s trousers up again, then took his hand once more.

“Better?” he asked softly. He ached for Etienne; he felt immensely guilty that he hadn’t been there.

“Rune…I…” Etienne couldn’t seem to finish his sentence.

“Shh,” Rune said, and at that moment, nothing else mattered. He crawled into the bed next to Etienne, pulling the man gently into his arms so he wouldn’t hurt him, and simply held him. “Shh.”

He felt Etienne trembling in his arms, and he nearly wanted to cry himself. It wasn’t fair.

“I couldn’t stop her,” Etienne murmured thickly. Rune didn’t interrupt him. “She just…came in and shut the door. She…wouldn’t listen. I was…trapped,” he choked out the last word and Rune squeezed him gently. “I tried. Tried to push her away. I…couldn’t.” He sounded so ashamed.

“I know,” Rune murmured, stroking Etienne’s arm gently with his thumb. “I know you couldn’t. I never should’ve left you here for so long. I’m so sorry.” They sat in silence for a while, Rune holding onto his friend, trying his best to comfort him.

“You said you got a horse?” Etienne eventually asked shakily. “We can…we can go?”

“As soon as you’re ready,” Rune nodded. “I promise.”

However close they’d been before, however Rune had felt about Etienne before, it paled in comparison to now. Now, Rune was fiercely protective of him; he cared for him more than he could say.

“Let’s get out of here,” Etienne murmured. “P-please.”

“Alright,” Rune said, giving him a last gentle squeeze before getting up. He rifled through the drawer for a clean tunic for Etienne, handing it over, then changed into his own Guild armor. Once he had all his things, he leaned down to help Etienne to his feet, supporting him out into the main room.

Faida was standing behind the bar, talking to two of her patrons. The sly grin she shot at Etienne made the man tremble, and Rune growled in anger.

“Stay here,” he murmured, leaning Etienne against the wall. “I’ll be right back.” He stalked over to the innkeeper, anger radiating from him; her two male patrons looked at him warily.

“Can I help you?” the innkeeper asked, a smirk still on her lips. Rune snarled at her, and she at least had the grace to drop the smirk.

“If I ever hear of you violating someone against their will again, I will personally come here and destroy you,” Rune growled, right up in Faida’s face. “Consider yourself lucky, woman, that my friend is so injured and needs me far more than I need to kill you.” At that, he reached over and plucked the woman’s coin purse from her belt. “And I’ll be relieving you of this.”

“Hey,” she snapped indignantly as Rune stowed the coin purse away. “You thief! You think you’re going to - “

“Try to stop me,” Rune snarled. “I beg you.” He gave her one last glare before heading back over to Etienne, wrapping his arm around him again. Rune noticed both her patrons looked disgruntled.

“Oy,” one of them said. “She really…do that?” Rune caught Etienne’s blush out of the corner of his eye. He felt a little guilty, exposing him like this, but the woman couldn’t be allowed to simply get away with it.

“Yes,” Rune said harshly. “She did. I’d watch out for your innkeeper.” The color drained from the woman’s face, and Rune stalked out, carefully supporting Etienne. No one stopped him.

“Thanks,” Etienne murmured as they approached the horse.

“’Course,” Rune muttered.

Several minutes, a lot of maneuvering, and help from one of the town’s citizens later, Rune sat astride the horse, Etienne just behind him and holding on tight. Rune promised to take it slow so as not to hurt Etienne further, and they set off for Markarth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew :/
> 
> Poor Etienne. I know. I'm a horrible, awful, terrible person for letting this happen to him.
> 
> That evil woman...
> 
> But stay tuned, I promise it gets happier!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rune and Etienne come across a helpful friend in Markarth, and Etienne starts to feel better.

“I’m sorry, we don’t have any rooms left,” the innkeeper in Markarth said smugly. “You’ll have to find somewhere else for your _battered_ friend.” Rune wanted to shout at the man; it was clear he was only saying this because he didn’t like the looks of the unwashed, beaten Etienne, and clearly was no hospitable soul.

“Fine,” Rune snapped. Etienne was on the verge of falling down even with Rune’s assistance; the ride to Markarth obviously hadn’t helped him much. Rune was left with no choice but to turn around and leave; perhaps the priestesses at the Temple would be kind enough to let them stay a night.

“Rune?”

Rune’s head snapped around at the unexpected voice, and he saw a Redguard man standing near the door, looking at him anxiously.

“Endon!” Rune replied, giving the man a polite smile. “Been a long time, friend.”

“Indeed,”Endon nodded. “What seems to be the problem? Your friend alright?”

“Not really, no,” Rune said. “And that son-of-a-skeever over there won’t rent me a room.”

“Well, you do both look a bit…unclean,” Endon said with a slight grin. “Don’t worry. You can stay with me.”

“Are you sure?” Rune asked anxiously. Etienne was still too weak to speak.

“Of course,” Endon nodded. “I’ve got the room…and a bath.”

“Thank you so much,” Rune said in relief, redoing his grip on Etienne, who groaned lowly.

“Come on,” Endon said, motioning Rune to follow. “So what happened?”

“It’s…a long story,” Rune said. He didn’t think it wise to say it out loud, particularly knowing the Keep had its very own Thalmor patroller. “Tell you later.”

“Alright,” Endon said. “Who’s your friend?”

“Guild brother,” Rune explained.

“Guild Master get hold of him?” Endon chuckled nervously. Rune couldn’t help a small laugh, and it felt like even Etienne snorted.

“Not quite,” Rune said. “Even Mercer’s not this brutal.”

“Endon!” a harsh voice said as they walked past the small marketplace. Rune turned to see a Redguard woman he hadn’t met before, but assumed it to be the wife Endon had referred to occasionally.

“Yes, dear?” Endon asked.

“I know that look,” Endon’s wife said, narrowing her eyes at him. “Who are these strangers you plan to bring into my house?”

“Er…friends, Kerah, my love,” Endon said sheepishly. “Guild members,” he said, his voice much lower. Kerah looked furious.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” she hissed. “You think I’m going to let that awful man stay in the same house – “

“Kerah, calm down!” Endon said, holding his hands out peacefully. “This isn’t Mercer. You know I wouldn’t let that beast within a mile of Adara!” He glanced worriedly at Rune. “I – I mean – “

“It’s alright,” Rune smirked. “Adara your daughter?” Endon nodded. “I wouldn’t let him within a mile of mine, either, if I had one. I don’t blame you.” He gave what he hoped was a friendly smile to Kerah. “I assume you’re Endon’s wife. He’s said nothing but lovely things about you. As you can see, my friend here is quite injured – I’d be most grateful if you’d allow him houseroom to clean up a bit and heal some.” Etienne tried to smile too, but it came out as more of a pained grimace. Kerah’s face softened as she looked more closely at the injured man.

“Oh, alright,” she said, shaking her head. “Go on, then. Look…I’ll be up in a little bit to tend him. I know a bit of healing magic,” she explained at Rune’s curious look. Endon beamed at her.

“Thank you, my love,” he said, kissing her cheek. Kerah rolled her eyes, but a wry smile tugged at her lips anyway.

“And don’t you even think of stealing from us,” she ordered the men. Rune smiled at her.

“You have my word,” he nodded. She turned back to her stall, and Endon led them the rest of the way to his house.

“Thank you,” Etienne whispered as soon as they crossed the threshold. 

“Sure, friend,” Endon said kindly. “The washroom is here,” he said, motioning to a door, “and the spare bed is in here. I – ah – only have one,” he said apologetically. “I’m sorry. But – “

“It’s fine,” Rune said dismissively. “As long as he has somewhere comfortable to lay, I can sleep on the floor.”

“Alright,” Endon said. “There’ll be clean clothes in the dresser there as well. Shall I…uh…draw up a bath?”

“Do I really smell that awful?” Etienne murmured. Rune chuckled.

“Only a bit,” he said kindly. “It’s alright, though. Yes, Endon, that would be most appreciated. Thank you so much.”

Endon walked into the washroom to draw a bath, and Rune followed. He hadn’t spent much time in Markarth, but was rather impressed by the Dwemer pipes pouring hot water straight into the large golden-hued tub.

“So – what did happen, then?” Endon asked quietly as they waited for the tub to fill. Rune had set Etienne down on a low crate by the tub.

“Apparently, the Thalmor captured him,” Rune said, keeping a hand on Etienne’s shoulder. “They’ve had him for the last six weeks.”

“Bastards,” Endon shook his head. “What’d he do?”

“Nothing,” Rune said, shaking his head. “They thought he might have information they needed. He didn’t.”

“Sick,” Endon said, looking sympathetically at Etienne. “Well, don’t worry, friend. You’re safe now.” Etienne gave him a small smile.

“Just don’t say anything to anyone,” Rune said. “I know you have that Thalmor up at the Keep…”

“Yeah, I know,” Endon said. “Don’t worry. Just…don’t mention it to my daughter. She wouldn’t say anything on purpose, but…well, she’s young.” Rune grinned.

“Didn’t even know you had a daughter,” he said. Endon smiled fondly.

“Adara,” he nodded. “She’s ten. Really excitable, and she seems to enjoy the business well enough.”

“Good,” Rune said. The tub had finished filling, so Endon shut off the pipes.

“All set,” he said. “Kerah said she’ll be up soon, and after she’s healed your friend up a bit, we’ll eat, alright?”

“Thank you,” Etienne murmured. Endon nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Rune carefully helped Etienne undress and get his bandages off, then lowered him into the bath.

“Oh, by the Eight,” Etienne groaned as he sank down into the water. It felt heavenly on his sore muscles and various aches. “Gods.” The pleasure in Etienne’s tone stirred something in Rune, though he tried to push it down; no, now still wasn’t the time, he told his feelings firmly, and he still had a friend to take care of!

Etienne had closed his eyes, leaning his head against the rim of the tub.

“Here,” Rune said, getting a bar of lye soap and a clean washing cloth and offering it to Etienne. “This’ll probably help.” Etienne opened his eyes and gave his friend a sheepish smile.

“Don’t suppose you could help me?” he asked, sounding a bit worried. “Still…exhausted.” Rune wondered if he’d ever had to exercise so much self-control before.

“Of course I can,” he said kindly, soaping up the cloth and beginning to run it over Etienne’s skin, being gentle of the wounds. Etienne still winced when he hit particularly sore spots, but he tried his best to keep his touch soft.

“Rune?” Etienne murmured, his eyes closed again as he rested against the tub now, Rune working on his legs.

“Hmm?” Rune asked, glancing up at him.

“Thank you,” Etienne said softly. “You’re…you’re far too kind.”

“Nah,” Rune said, shrugging. “Just doing what I can.”

“You…you didn’t mention how badly I needed a bath,” Etienne said, and Rune saw his cheeks turn pink. “Didn’t…tell me how disgusting I was. Or…or how terrible I look.” Rune frowned, resting his hand on Etienne’s knee and putting the other hand on his shoulder.

“It didn’t matter,” Rune said, shaking his head, and Etienne opened his eyes – the one still swollen slightly – to look at him in surprise. “You…you’re alive. That’s the bit I care about.”

“Yeah, but I’m still a mess,” Etienne whispered, sounding hurt. “Still…look awful. Too…too skinny.” Rune narrowed his eyes.

“What did she say to you, Etienne?” Rune asked at once. Etienne cast his eyes downward.

“Lots,” Etienne admitted. “Just…how skinny I am. How much I needed a bath. How I…I’m not attractive anymore.” Rune growled low in his throat, clutching Etienne’s shoulder.

“She’s an idiot,” Rune said firmly. “Nothing she said to you matters, Rarnis, you understand me?”

“Well…it’s all true,” Etienne muttered.

“So what?” Rune said harshly. “So what if you look like you were run over by a herd of mammoths? So what if I can…count all your ribs?” Rune choked a little on the last bit; it still hurt him to think how weak and starved his friend was. “So what if you smell like Riften on a hot day? You’re alive, Rarnis. I…I didn’t…lose you.” Rune lowered his head, squeezing his eyes shut. It was painful to even think about. “And I think you’re plenty attractive,” he mumbled.

“Really?” Etienne whispered. Rune looked back up at him with tormented eyes.

“Of course I do,” Rune said softly. “I have for…for a while.” Etienne managed a small smile.

“Thanks,” Etienne murmured. Rune gave him a small smile in return before going back to his task, gently cleaning Etienne.

“Scoot forward,” Rune said a bit later, having mostly finished. “Let me get your hair.” He helped maneuver Etienne in the tub so that Rune could wash his hair, filling the pitcher by the tub with water to rinse him.

Finally the man was clean, and Rune drained the tub as he helped Etienne out of it, setting him on the crate next to it again with a towel.

“Be right back,” Rune said, patting Etienne’s shoulder and going to the room Endon had pointed out before to get clothes. Etienne hadn’t moved far when Rune returned, but looked even more exhausted than before.

“Can’t even dry myself off,” Etienne said ruefully.

“It’s alright,” Rune said, helping him. He knelt in front of the man, patting him try, wringing his hair out as best he could, and found himself closer to Etienne’s face than he intended. He gave an embarrassed little laugh and started to pull away, but Etienne’s weak fingers clutched his arm.

“Please,” Etienne murmured, staring into Rune’s eyes. Rune couldn’t help himself at the plea; he leaned forward and captured Etienne’s lips with his own, kissing him softly once more. When he pulled away, the smile on Etienne’s lips tugged at his heart.

“Kerah should be here soon,” Rune said with a soft smile. “Should get you dressed.”

“Right,” Etienne agreed, sounding anxious. “Er…I mean…I want to be healed and everything, but...she…” Rune stared at him for a moment, puzzled, when Etienne wouldn’t go on. Then it dawned on him; of course he’d be anxious about a woman’s touch, after that stupid innkeeper.

“Oh, Etienne,” Rune said, squeezing his good shoulder. “Don’t worry. She…she wouldn’t do anything like that.” He didn’t know her, but he knew Endon, and that was proof enough. “And I’ll stay with you. I promise.”

“You…you sure?” Etienne asked awkwardly.

“Of course I’m sure,” Rune said kindly. “I won’t leave your side.” Etienne looked rather pleased at that statement.

“Thanks,” Etienne said. Rune just smiled at him and finished helping him dry off, then helped him into a clean pair of trousers. There wasn’t much sense putting on a shirt when the Redguard woman would have to heal him, so Rune didn’t bother with that. “How do you know that man, anyway?” Etienne finally asked.

“Endon?” Rune said. “He’s a fence for the Guild here in Markarth. We’ve not dealt with him as much lately, with all our bad luck, but I used to work with him often.”

“Ah,” Etienne nodded, feeling a little better about the stranger. “I see. Kind of him to offer his house.”

“I know,” Rune agreed, helping Etienne to his feet. They were partway across the room when Kerah came in the door.

“All cleaned up?” she asked kindly.

“Well, Etienne is,” Rune smiled. “You sure you don’t want us to just go to the Temple?”

“Hah,” Kerah snorted, clearly unimpressed. “Not going to get much in the way of healing from them. At least, not in that way.” Rune chuckled, and Etienne reddened. “Get him settled; I’ll be right in.”

Rune took Etienne into the small bedroom, settling him onto the bed as comfortably as he could. Kerah came in a few moments later.

“Endon mentioned what happened,” she said softly, eyeing Etienne critically. “I’m sorry to hear it. Looks like a good amount of bruising, and a few wounds,” she summed up, setting a few potion bottles by the bed. “Anything broken?”

“N-no,” Etienne said shakily; he was rather nervous in her presence, even if Rune was still there. Rune settled himself on the foot of the bed, putting a hand on Etienne’s leg reassuringly. “They…they healed broken bones.”

“No doubt so they could break them again,” Kerah snorted angrily. “But…that’s good, at any rate.”

“His shoulder was messed up,” Rune piped up. “Popped out of place. I readjusted it, but couldn’t do much more.”

“Did it set properly?” Kerah asked with a frown. “Which one?”

“Left,” Rune said. “I think it did.” Kerah put her hands on Etienne’s left shoulder and he jumped, instinctively jerking away from her. She gave him a sympathetic smile.

“Try to relax,” she said gently. “I’ll be as gentle as I can, I promise.”

“Don’t worry, Rarnis,” Rune added quietly, squeezing his leg. “I’m right here.” Etienne took a deep breath and managed to keep still when Kerah touched him this time. She felt around his shoulder tenderly, concentrating.

“It feels alright,” she nodded, sounding impressed. “Good job.” She placed her hands gently around the shoulder and the joint was encased in a soft, golden glow. Etienne let out a breath and closed his eyes, reveling in the healing comfort. A few minutes later she pulled away, looking weary already. “Better?”

“Loads,” Etienne murmured. Rune smiled. “Thank you.”

“Sure thing,” she said. “Now – “

“Mama! Mama!” a voice rang through the house, and Etienne jumped, as did Rune. Kerah smiled, shaking her head.

“I’m in here, love,” Kerah called. “Where’s your father?”

“Right here,” Endon called back as a little girl raced into the room. “Adara, I told you, stay with me!”

“Hi, Mama!” Adara said excitedly, coming over to embrace her mother and utterly ignoring her father. Kerah laughed, hugging her daughter back.

“Hi, ‘Dara,” Kerah said fondly. “You should go – “

“Who’s this?” Adara babbled staring at Etienne in awe. “Wow! Are you a warrior? Were you wounded in battle? Was it amazing? Or – was it a dragon?”

“Adara,” Kerah started firmly, just as Endon came into the room, shaking his head at his daughter.

“Sorry,” he said. “She’s a bit hard to control. Rune, Etienne, this is my daughter, Adara.”

“Oooh, Rune?” Adara chattered, looking between the men. “Like the symbol?”

“Yes, just like that,” Rune replied, grinning at the girl and holding out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Adara.”

“So you’re Etienne?” she asked the other man. Etienne managed to nod. “Wow. You’re hurt real bad, huh?”

“That’s why your mother’s trying to heal him,” Endon said patiently. “Come on, ‘Dara.”

“No, let me help!” Adara said excitedly. “Mama’s been teaching me how to heal, too, haven’t you, Mama?”

“I – yes,” Kerah said, clearly anxious, “but this man needs an expert like Mama to – “

“But you said I was good,” Adara pouted. Rune glanced at Endon over Adara’s head, and her father quickly shook his head – clearly, she wasn’t as good as they had told her.

“You – well, you are,” Kerah said, staring at her husband for help.

“How about you help me, Adara?” Endon asked.

“Aww, but Papa, I wanna stay and help.”

“You know,” Etienne spoke up, his voice still far too weak, “I bet you’re a really good cook, and after your mother’s finished healing me, I could really use something good to eat.”

“Really?” Adara asked, eyes wide. Etienne nodded. “Okay! Don’t worry – I’ll make you the best meal ever!” At that, she ran off with her father, Endon closing the door behind them.

“Don’t worry,” Kerah said quietly. “Endon doesn’t let her do very much. But…thank you.”

“She just wants to help,” Etienne murmured. “It’s sweet.”

“She tries,” Kerah said. “So, what else are we dealing with here?”

Etienne gave her a short explanation of his injuries, relaxing a fair amount into her healing magic. Rune being in the room helped; he couldn’t say how much he appreciated his friend’s comfort, particularly after earlier in the day. Kerah, at least, had an entirely different air about her than the woman in Dragon Bridge had, so it was easier to relax around her.

Eventually she’d done all she could, handing him a couple of healing potions.

“Hopefully those will help anything I didn’t manage to get,” Kerah said tiredly. “I’m sorry I can’t do more about the bruising.”

“Thank you,” Etienne said. “Thank you so much.”

“Of course,” Kerah smiled. “Dinner ought to be ready soon. I’ll let you rest.” She left the room, and Rune patted Etienne’s leg before following her.

“Kerah,” Rune said quietly, just outside the door, and she turned to him.

“Hmm?” she asked.

“Thank you,” Rune murmured. “I’m sorry for invading your house like this, but I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. Here,” he added, handing her a pouch of gold. “I’d like you to take this, for all your trouble.”

“Thank you, Rune,” Kerah said with a smile. “I hope he’s better soon.” 

*****

“Here you go, Mister Warrior!” Adara sang as she came in carrying a tray of food. “Mama says you’re all healed up now!”

“Nearly,” Etienne smiled tiredly at the girl. “Thank you very much, Adara.”

“Sure!” Adara grinned as Rune took the tray, chuckling. “So how did you get hurt? Was it a great battle?”

“Maybe I’ll tell you about it later,” Etienne said. “Right now I need to eat, and I’m very tired.”

“Okay,” Adara said in a comical whisper. “I’ll be quiet and let you sleep.” Etienne smiled at her.

“We’ll see you tomorrow, sweetheart,” Rune said, patting her shoulder. She skipped out of the room.

“Sweet kid,” Etienne commented as Rune helped get him settled.

“Yeah,” Rune agreed, settling to eat as well. “You’re good with kids.”

“I like little ones,” Etienne nodded with a small smile. “Like those ones at the orphanage.” Rune laughed as a thought struck him suddenly.

“I guess you weren’t around for it. You’ll never believe this. Someone murdered the old hag.”

“Really?” Etienne’s eyes widened. “In front of the children?”

“Don’t think they saw,” Rune said. “Her assistant was the one who found her – that sweet girl, Constance.”

“What happened to the kids?” Etienne asked.

“Oh, they’re fine,” Rune answered. “Constance took over the place.”

“Good,” Etienne nodded. “They deserve her. No one knows who did it?”

“No one,” Rune shook his head. “No one saw a thing. Plenty who would’ve, though.”

“Well, good for them, whoever it was,” Etienne said. “How’s…how’s the Guild?”

“Not much different than when you were there,” Rune said. “Same terrible luck following all of us, same grouchy Guildmaster.”

“Anyone…ah…notice I was…gone?” Etienne asked self-consciously.

“Of course we did,” Rune said quietly. “Everyone wondered about you. Several of us looked for you.” Etienne gave a faint smile.

“Thank you,” Etienne murmured, finishing off his mead. “I know I keep saying it, but…I can’t say it enough.”

“You have said it enough,” Rune said as he ate. “Really. I wasn’t going to just leave you there on the road.”

“No,” Etienne said. “But you didn’t have to be so kind to me since. Stupid nightmares…stupid weakness…not even able to defend myself,” he mumbled.

“You’re not stupid,” Rune said. “Stop that, Etienne. You can’t help what happened to you. Anyone would have nightmares after that. And…you know what that woman did to you was wrong. It’s not your fault.”

“I just…” Etienne trailed off, frustrated. He blew out a breath. “I just feel…pathetic.”

“I understand,” Rune said kindly. “I know why you do. But I’m going to keep telling you that you aren’t until you believe me.” Etienne smiled at his friend.

“You’re an amazing person, Rune,” Etienne said. “I hope you know that.” Rune blushed.

“I just…care about you,” Rune mumbled. “I…can’t help it.” When he looked over, he could see Etienne blushing as well, but he looked pleased.

The two finished eating, and Rune took the tray with the dishes back out to the kitchen area where Endon took it from him, waving off his offer for help.

“Just make sure your friend’s okay,” Endon said. “I’ve got it.” Rune thanked him and went back in to Etienne, finding him lying on the bed under the blanket already. Rune smiled at him.

“Comfortable?”

“More than before,” Etienne yawned. “Still ache all over, but this…this is so much better.”

“Good,” Rune said. “You going to sleep?”

“Probably,” Etienne laughed softly. “Don’t think I can stay awake much longer.”

“Alright,” Rune said. “Well – do you mind if I go wash up, then? I don’t want to leave you if – “

“No, it’s fine,” Etienne murmured. “I…I think I’ll be okay here.”

“You will be,” Rune assured him, but he went over to put a hand on his arm soothingly anyway. “Endon’s a good man, and clearly Kerah’s a good woman. You don’t have to worry.”

“You’ll…you’ll come back, right?” Etienne yawned, closing his eyes. “You’ll…stay here?”

“Of course I will,” Rune murmured, rubbing Etienne’s arm. “I won’t go anywhere, my friend.”

“Good,” Etienne mumbled. Rune thought he fell asleep before he even left the room.

*****

“Mmm?” Etienne mumbled later. He was awoken by someone jostling his bed, and felt slightly anxious for a moment.

“Just me,” Rune murmured, settling in behind Etienne. Etienne relaxed and smiled softly, still half-asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See? Told you it got better!
> 
> Two more chapters to go. I hope this one made you hate me less after chapter two.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Etienne makes his way back to the Guild, but it isn't quite smooth sailing.

With Etienne healed to a degree that allowed travel, he and Rune left Markarth the next day – though not before Etienne came up with a heroic story to tell Adara. The little girl had been thrilled.

“She adores you, you know,” Rune mentioned.

“Well, she’s a sweet little thing,” Etienne grinned. He was feeling much better – still incredibly achy and sore, particularly in the more bruised areas, but no longer so weak or ill-feeling. “And I wasn’t about to tell her what really happened.”

“No,” Rune agreed. The sweet-faced little girl didn’t need to know anything of such horrors so young.

Without any armor for Etienne or camping supplies, they decided it would be far safer to take a carriage back to Riften than try to walk it.

Etienne was, under the circumstances, thrilled. He’d gotten his best friend back, he was away from the elves, away from the horrors of the last six weeks, and finally, he was going home.

*****

The pair had to stop in Whiterun; the horse needed a rest and neither of them wanted to sleep in the carriage, so they decided to stay at The Bannered Mare for the night instead.

Etienne once again found himself woken by Rune in the middle of a nightmare; this time, the woman from the inn was helping the Thalmor torment him. The Breton lay in Rune’s arms, sniffling quietly, ashamed of himself for crying over it.

“It’s alright,” Rune murmured softly, stroking Etienne’s arm as he held him. “Shh.”

“Being stupid,” Etienne muttered in annoyance.

“No, you aren’t,” Rune said patiently. “Divines, Etienne…everything you’ve gone through, and you think you aren’t allowed to feel anything about it? It’s enough to drive anyone mad.”

“I don’t want to be weak,” Etienne said stubbornly. Rune sighed softly.

“You’re not,” Rune assured him, squeezing the man gently. “You were strong enough to survive it all. Strong enough even to get yourself back to the road. You’re doing better than I would be.” Etienne was quiet for several long moments.

“Thanks,” he finally whispered, so quietly Rune almost couldn’t hear it. He was grateful for the other man’s support, that Rune wasn’t dismissing him.

“Just relax,” Rune soothed. “You’re alright now. I’m right here.” Etienne couldn’t help but smile a little at that statement, and turned slightly in Rune’s arms to face the man.

“I’m glad, you know,” Etienne murmured, his face an inch from Rune’s. Rune could feel the man’s breath on his lips. “I’m glad you’re here.” Rune smiled, and Etienne moved his head forward just enough to brush Rune’s lips with a soft kiss. Rune’s heart soared.

“Long as you want me to be,” Rune whispered in return, cradling the Breton’s head to his shoulder.

*****

The Guild was pleased to see Etienne back; Brynjolf was relieved, Mercer was indifferent, and the rest were welcoming and sympathetic once they heard what had happened. Brynjolf told Etienne he’d arrange for a new set of armor and let the Breton pay it off bit by bit.

After a good, hot meal and a bottle of mead, courtesy of Vekel, Etienne headed back to the Cistern, ready to sleep again.

“Suppose you’ve given my bed away to some new recruit,” Etienne said with a hollow laugh as he walked toward the Cistern with Rune and Niruin.

“There haven’t been any new recruits,” Niruin said, shaking his head. “Word of our luck keeps spreading; no one’s interested in joining a cursed Guild.”

“And your bed’s next to mine, like it’s always been,” Rune added. “Don’t worry.” Etienne was slightly surprised, but pleased. What pleased him more, however, was picking the lock on his trunk – he had no idea what the Thalmor had done with his possessions, including his key – and finding that all of his things were still there.

“You don’t have to look so shocked,” Niruin said with a frown. “The Guild doesn’t steal from the Guild. You know that.”

“I do,” Etienne said quietly, thrilled just to have this small amount of normalcy again. “But after losing everything else…”

“Don’t give him a hard time, Niruin,” Rune chided. “He’s been through a lot.”

“Fair enough,” Niruin conceded. “Alright. I’m headed to the training room,” he finished, patting his bow as he walked away.

“Night,” Etienne called, struggling to his feet. Rune leaned over to help him, and his heart sped up a bit at the Imperial’s touch. “Thanks,” Etienne said to Rune.

“You alright?” Rune asked, concerned but letting go of the Breton. Despite their closeness over the last couple of days, it was somehow different being back with the Guild; it was almost as though nothing had happened, and they were the same old friends as usual.

“Yeah,” Etienne said with a small smile. “Bit…bit sore. You know.”

“Yeah,” Rune said, a bit awkwardly. “Right. Well…night, then?”

“Ah…Rune?” Etienne said, sounding hesitant.

“Hmm?”

“You…uh…” Etienne blushed a little and looked away. “It’s…nevermind.” He felt intensely awkward now, though he desperately wanted to ask the other man to stay nearby; he was so anxious about being alone.

“What is it?” Rune asked softly, coming closer to the Breton again and looking at him in concern. “Tell me.”

“Could you…just…stay?” Etienne managed to force out, sounding embarrassed. Rune couldn’t suppress his low chuckle.

“Where do you think I’d go?” Rune asked, putting a hand on the other man’s shoulder. Etienne looked at him in surprise, and he offered a friendly smile. “I’m not leaving you by yourself after all this. Not until you ask me to.” Etienne smiled at Rune then, relieved.

“Thanks, friend,” he murmured. His heart pounded in his chest as he realized how close Rune was again. “Rune?” he added, the whispered breath dancing across Rune’s lips.

“Yes?” Rune asked, his eyes fixed on Etienne’s, unwilling to move away. 

In answer, Etienne pushed himself up just a little, crushing his lips to the Imperial’s in a hard kiss. He felt Rune’s arms encircle him and wrapped his own around the Imperial, pulling in closer to him. Rune’s tongue flicked out against Etienne’s lips, brushing them softly and causing Etienne to shiver. A moment later, they both pulled back, breathing hard.

“That wasn’t a question,” Rune teased, his eyes alight with enjoyment. Etienne gave him a half-smile.

“Wasn’t it?” Etienne inquired, and Rune could hear the seriousness behind the question. Rune’s grin broadened.

“Then I guess my answer is yes,” Rune informed the Breton, who couldn’t seem to stop a large smile spreading across his face.

“Thank you, Rune,” Etienne murmured. “Thank you for everything.”

“You’re welcome,” Rune murmured back, pressing a gentle kiss to the corner of Etienne’s mouth. “Get some sleep, friend. You need rest. All is well; I’ll be right here.” Etienne nodded, crawling into his bed and making himself comfortable.

All was well, indeed.

*****

“What the hell?”

“Someone shut him up.”

“Gods, like it isn’t hard enough to sleep in here!”

“Everyone shut up,” Rune snapped, dragging himself into consciousness. He heard Etienne whimpering from the bed next to him, and clearly it had awoken several of the others. He forced himself out of bed as quickly as he could, glaring at them all in the darkness. “Just go back to sleep.”

“With that racket?” Cynric said, annoyed.

“I _was_ asleep,” Sapphire added. Rune ignored them all and sat down on the edge of Etienne’s bed; he was furious with the lot of them, acting so rude about what Etienne was dealing with. It wasn’t the Breton’s fault!

“Rarnis,” Rune whispered, leaning close to Etienne and giving his shoulder a gentle shake. “Rarnis, wake up.”

“No,” Etienne whimpered. “Please…don’t touch me…please…” Rune heard Sapphire laugh cynically and turned to give her an angry look before focusing back on Etienne.

“Come on, Etienne,” Rune said, his voice a bit louder. He hated that the man was affected so badly like this; it killed him to hear Etienne’s pleading voice. “Wake up. It’s alright. You’re safe.”

“Not for long,” Cynric growled.

“Shut up and go back to sleep,” Rune snapped. “All of you. Leave him be. I’ll take care of it.” Rune gave Etienne one last harder shake and the Breton managed to come to, though he looked thoroughly confused.

“Where…what?” he muttered groggily, looking around. His eyes landed on Rune and he relaxed.

“You’re alright,” Rune said softly.

“Now can we get some sleep?” Sapphire huffed.

“You had nightmares when you showed up, yourself,” Rune reminded her furiously. “No one gave you a hard time about it.”

“I didn’t keep the whole Cistern awake,” Sapphire replied.

“I – what?” Etienne spoke up. “I did?”

“Yes,” chorused several of the Guild members.

“I’m sorry,” Etienne murmured, bringing his hands up and burying his face in them. “I am.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Rune said kindly to Etienne, eyeing the rest of them. “Come on.”

“Where –?” Etienne asked, letting Rune pull him out of bed and get his boots on.

“A walk. Clear your head,” Rune said shortly, not wanting to deal with the remaining Guild members any longer. “I’ve got you,” he added as Etienne stumbled a little.

“Oh, isn’t that adorable,” Sapphire sneered as they passed her bed.

“Sapphire, shut your mouth or I’ll do it for you,” Rune promised, holding Etienne steady. She rolled her eyes, but lay back down.

“I’m sorry,” Etienne said as they left the Guild entrance. “I didn’t mean to wake anyone…gods. Pathetic.”

“You’re not,” Rune said firmly. “Ignore them. Especially Sapphire,” he added, shaking his head. The girl had been briefly involved with Etienne shortly after the man had joined the Guild, and after it hadn’t worked out they hadn’t got on very well.

“Where are we going?” Etienne asked as Rune led him through the dark city.

“The inn,” Rune replied. “No one’ll bother you.”

“I can’t just sleep at the inn forever,” Etienne said, shaking his head in annoyance at himself.

“No,” Rune agreed. “But it’s all I’ve got for tonight. I’ll come up with a better solution tomorrow.”

Etienne had an idea what the better solution might be; he had slept much more peacefully with Rune in his bed than without. In the Cistern, though…that wasn’t a very good idea. People would talk.

 _And so what if they do?_ Etienne thought fiercely. _It isn’t their business._

But then, he was sure Rune wouldn’t want to be the subject of such gossip. He’d never ask such a thing of his friend…comforting or not.

Rune paid the barmaid and the pair went up to a room where Rune helped Etienne settle on the bed.

“Thanks,” Etienne yawned, still feeling ashamed of himself. “You’re too kind.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Rune said, shaking his head as he settled in next to Etienne, pulling the man into his arms once again. “You’re worth it.”

*****

When the two men came back into the Cistern the next day, Etienne was feeling a bit better; a night’s rest helped, along with the fact that Rune had taken a bottle of healing potion sitting on a shelf at the inn for him. 

The Cistern was not empty; so bad was the Guild’s luck recently that there weren’t that many jobs to run. Sapphire noticed the two come in.

“Cozy night last night, hm?” she asked sarcastically. “Where did the two of you run off to?” Both blushed and moved away from each other slightly.

“The inn,” Rune replied shortly. He didn’t want to cause Etienne any further trouble by implying they were sleeping together, so he maintained his distance from the man. “You all didn’t want him sleeping here, so I took care of it.”

“I bet you did,” Sapphire laughed mockingly. “So, Etienne, how is he? That why you’re hurt – he get a bit rough with you?” Etienne’s expression was stony and cold.

“No,” Etienne said. “Rune found me on the side of the rod and saved my life. He’s been a friend to me, nothing more.” He found it hurt a little to say that out loud; it wasn’t what he wanted to be true, of course, but he also didn’t want to make Rune suffer Guild taunts about the two of them. Sapphire simply rolled her eyes at them.

“Whatever you say,” she said, turning away from them. “By the way, Rune, Vex is back. She wants to know how your job went.” Rune groaned.

“Damn. I’d nearly forgotten,” he said, shaking his head. “Alright.” He was already a little saddened by Etienne’s claim of “nothing more” between them, and the thought of facing Vex didn’t make him feel any better.

“Good luck with Vex,” Etienne mumbled, not meeting Rune’s eyes as he walked over to his bed, largely ignoring Rune. “I’ll…see you later, alright?”

“Right,” Rune said, feeling even worse. He’d told Etienne he wouldn’t leave him, but now…well, did Etienne not want him around after that? Maybe the man didn’t want to have the gossip about them. Maybe seeing Sapphire had just reminded him it was bad to get involved with a Guild member – Rune couldn’t blame him, though he hoped maybe he’d come around.

Then again, Rune realized as he walked through toward the tavern where Vex would be, perhaps Etienne just wasn’t all that interested in him now that they were back.

With a heavy heart and mind, he pushed open the door to the Ragged Flagon and made his way over to a scowling Vex.

*****

Etienne wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t want everyone gossiping about him and Rune, and gods knew the last time he got involved with someone from the Guild it had turned out badly. 

But this time around…he didn’t care. All he could think of was Rune’s warm embrace and soft lips; gods, he didn’t want to miss out on that. He thought maybe it would be alright; maybe he should just treat Rune like he had been so far on their journey back from Dragon Bridge.

And then Rune had pulled away from him a bit at Sapphire’s sneering, and acted just as awkward as he felt when they’d parted company.

Maybe Rune didn’t want the gossip, and maybe he _was_ bothered by it. He sighed as he knelt next to his trunk to pull out some of his belongings.

Perhaps it was best if they acted like nothing had happened. Perhaps it was best…if he just avoided Rune.

The thought made his stomach turn to ice. But if that’s what Rune would prefer…

*****

A week later, the two men had barely spoken to one another. Life had gone on as usual in the Guild; Vex hadn’t been pleased about Rune botching the Solitude job, but there wasn’t anything to be done about it. 

Etienne had been running a few local jobs, trying to stay out of visibility in case any Thalmor were looking for him. Knowing how his nightmares affected everyone, he’d tried to sleep during the day when possible, or rent a room at the inn when he had to.

He missed Rune terribly; even if he could just have the easy friendship they’d had before he was captured, he would’ve been so happy. He hated the times when he had nightmares about that stupid woman from Dragon Bridge; it was devastating to wake up without Rune there to reassure him. 

He’d tried to avoid most of the Guild, actually; it was strange, being back amongst them after what he’d gone through. None of them would understand, of course. Niruin was kind enough to him, as was Vipir, but the rest were close to openly disdainful – Sapphire overly so.

He often considered going up to the Imperial man and simply hugging him; gods, he needed to feel that closeness again. But Rune seemed to be quite as keen on avoiding Etienne as the Breton was on avoiding him. 

It was hard trying to deal with everything that had happened on his own, and the loss of Rune’s friendship and sudden interest hit him even harder. By the end of the week, when he wasn’t sleeping or doing a job, he tended to be drinking. It all didn’t hurt so much then.

Not that he was physically in pain anymore; a bit of time and a few extra healing potions had been enough to fix the worst of his wounds, and he was even starting to fill out again.

But remembering the Thalmor…waking up, convinced he was in their dungeon again…remembering the woman from the inn…and remembering Rune’s solid presence, solid comfort, the whole time…it hurt more than he could stand.

“Got a minute, lad?” Brynjolf asked, startling Etienne. His hand flew toward his dagger automatically; he was a lot more jumpy since he’d returned. When he saw it was only the Guild second, though, he relaxed.

“Sure,” Etienne said, nodding at the chair across from him. He was sitting in the Bee and Barb, preferring to avoid the Flagon.

“Listen,” Brynjolf said, his voice unusually gentle. “I know you had a rough time with those Thalmor. But you’re worrying us, lad.” Etienne looked confused.

“Worrying you?” he repeated. “What do you mean?”

“You won’t talk to anyone, you won’t stay around any of us, and I know you’re not sleeping well,” Brynjolf said bluntly. “Rune’s not doing well, either.” This caught Etienne’s attention at once. “Did something happen to you two? You used to be damn near inseparable.”

“No, we didn’t,” Etienne protested, although it was fairly true; they spent most of their time together, went on most of their heists together, and generally quite enjoyed one another’s company. “What’s wrong with him?”

“That’s just it,” Brynjolf sighed. “You shouldn’t have to ask me. What the hell happened, lad? Did you two get into a fight after he found you?”

“No,” Etienne said, shaking his head. Now he was a bit worried about Rune; was the other man alright? “No, we just…haven’t had much time to spend together, I guess. Lots of jobs, you know.”

“There aren’t that many jobs,” Brynjolf said dryly. “Listen, lad. I don’t know what the trouble is, and it isn’t much my business. I just don’t like seeing you like this; it’s not like you.”

“Well, it’s hard to go back to being full of jokes and laughs,” Etienne said defensively. “I don’t want to talk about the Thalmor, alright? Let it go.”

“Alright, lad,” Brynjolf sighed. “I understand. But I think you ought to talk to someone, at least, instead of keeping yourself away from everyone and drinking your days away.”

“Right,” Etienne said shortly, taking another swig from the bottle in his hand. Brynjolf got to his feet, staring sadly at the young man before walking away. Gods knew he’d been through hell, but surely he needed _some_ companionship. He hoped perhaps the man would get over whatever was bothering him so badly soon; Rune wasn’t in much better shape than the Breton, and he knew they could use one another.

*****

Rune was flat-out miserable. He knew Etienne wasn’t doing well; he wasn’t blind. He’d tried to avoid the man at first, not wanting to cause suspicions, but then he’d realized Etienne wasn’t sleeping in his bed, except occasionally during the day. He was running himself back and forth with Guild jobs, or else avoiding everyone.

The Imperial had tried to get Etienne alone to talk with him, just to find out if he was okay, but the man had been slippery – it was impossible to pin him down anymore.

He missed his friend. He was glad to know the man was safe, at least; it was something to ease his mind. But before Etienne had disappeared, they had been together so much; it was why Rune had started falling for him in the first place. Now, though, he’d held the man, comforted him, and even kissed him; but as much as he longed for more, it seemed as though Etienne himself was regretting it all.

What if Etienne saw him like the woman in Dragon Bridge? Taking advantage of him when he was vulnerable. The thought cut right through him.

Every time he saw the Breton, though, he looked more tired; he was never going to heal fully if this kept up. Rune resolved he was just going to have to do something about it, somehow.

His chance came sooner than he expected. He walked into Flagon one afternoon a few days later, spotting the traitorous Gissur sitting at a table, sipping a mug of mead. Rage boiled inside of him, but his first thought was to make sure Etienne was safe. He had to be safe, didn’t he? There had been rumors of the Thalmor in the Ratway recently, but they simply avoided the area…then again, he wasn’t sure Etienne _knew_ that.

Feeling slightly panicky, he turned around before Gissur could see him and hurried back toward the Cistern. Turning the corner, he smacked straight into Etienne himself.

“What - ?” Etienne asked in surprise, but Rune quickly covered his mouth; he didn’t want them heard.

“Shh,” Rune hissed quietly, pulling the other man back through toward the Cistern and finally shutting the door.

“Rune?” Etienne asked, bewildered.

“Gissur,” Rune whispered. “In the Flagon. And did you know about the Thalmor in the Ratway?” Etienne paled and swayed on the spot. Rune automatically reached out a hand to steady him.

“In the Ratway?” Etienne murmured, eyes wide. Clearly, the man had had no idea.

“Yes,” Rune said. “Probably still looking for that old man. I’m sorry I didn’t think to mention.”

“It’s…it’s alright,” Etienne said, voice shaking slightly. He didn’t know why he should be so bothered now when clearly they’d been there for a bit, but that didn’t stop him from being terrified.

“Hey,” Rune said, his voice gentle. “Listen, let’s get out of here. They’re focused on the Ratway…let’s head out into the forest or something.”

“Yeah,” Etienne said, trying to force himself to calm down. “Yeah, good idea.” Rune started to walk past him and then stopped; he finally had the man’s attention, and he wasn’t going to waste it, no matter what the week had been like.

“Etienne,” Rune said quietly, looking the man directly in the eye. Fear was written all over his face. “They won’t take you again. I swear it.” 

Etienne stared at Rune for a moment, his mind working furiously. The caring in the Imperial’s tone, combined with the longing Etienne had felt for him all week long and the fear he now felt, made him lose his mind entirely. Without thinking about it, without caring if anyone was going to come and see them, without even considering if Rune would be alright with it, Etienne threw his arms around the slightly larger man, clinging to him tightly as he trembled.

“Hey,” Rune said soothingly, his throat tight at the Breton’s actions. He brought his arms up around the smaller man, holding him tightly. “Hey. It’s alright.”

“Sorry,” Etienne whispered into Rune’s chest. “I’m sorry.” But he couldn’t make himself let go.

“Don’t be,” Rune murmured, giving the Breton a gentle squeeze. “Come on. Let’s get out of here, away from the damn elves.”

“Right,” Etienne agreed, finally forcing himself to release the Imperial. “Right.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All's well that ends well.

After quietly sneaking out of Riften, Etienne and Rune made their way into the forest. They knew the area well; it was a great place to hide from the guards, if you knew where you were going and which places to avoid. They found a little sheltered spot by the stream; it was often used by the Guild due to its hidden location, secluded and blocked from view by a bunch of rocks.

Etienne’s heart had been pounding the entire time; he was terrified of being caught and dragged back to the Thalmor dungeons. Rune had stayed behind him, making sure no one could sneak up on him, but it was still nerve-wracking.

“Sit down,” Rune said, motioning to the ground next to one of the rocks. Etienne did so, trying to stop his shaking, though it was hard; fear still coursed through him. Rune joined him a moment later, though, and took his hand; it lowered his anxiety considerably. Etienne leaned over, resting his head on the man’s shoulder and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. “It’s alright now. They can’t know you’re here.”

“Gissur was there?” Etienne murmured, hardly able to believe the bastard would show his face again.

“Yes,” Rune said, his voice angry. “Sitting at a table, comfortable as you please.”

“Thank you,” Etienne said. “For keeping me from going out there.”

“Of course,” Rune said softly, stroking his thumb along Etienne’s fingers. He hated how badly the man was still trembling. “Don’t worry. It’s alright now. Brynjolf will deal with him, when he sees.” They’d told the Guild Second about Gissur’s involvement in Etienne’s capture; the red-haired Nord had not been pleased.

“You’re right,” Etienne nodded, nuzzling into Rune’s shoulder a little. “I…I’ve missed you.” Rune let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding.

“Why wouldn’t you talk to me?” Rune asked hesitantly. “Why have you been avoiding everyone?” Etienne sighed, leaning onto Rune more fully.

“I was afraid you wouldn’t like the gossip,” Etienne confessed. “After what Sapphire started…” Rune couldn’t help letting out an amused chuckle.

“And here I thought you regretted what I’d done,” Rune said. “That you…thought I was no better than that…that…”

“What?” Etienne asked, shocked, pulling away to look at Rune’s face. Worry was etched into his features. “You thought I – gods, Rune,” he groaned. “Of course I didn’t. I…I didn’t want Sapphire making comments, so I stayed away, and when you did too…I thought that must be what you wanted.”

“Is that why you’ve been killing yourself with jobs and drink?” Rune asked, shaking his head. “I didn’t like what Sapphire was saying any more than you did, but staying away from you…that was so much worse.”

“Rune,” Etienne said, longing in his voice. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I’ve needed you…so much…”

With that, Rune pulled the man to him in a harsh, passionate kiss, not breaking the contact of their lips as he settled the Breton on his lap.

“Are _you_ alright?” Etienne finally asked when they pulled apart to breathe for a moment, resting his forehead against Rune’s. “Brynjolf said you weren’t doing well…”

“Better than you,” Rune said, shaking his head. “Where have you been sleeping?”

“The inn,” Etienne said, reddening slightly. “Or during the day. When…when I can’t wake anyone up.”

“Etienne,” Rune breathed, shaking his head and pulling the Breton into a hug. “If anyone bothers you over it, I’ll deal with them myself. You…you’ve got to _sleep_.”

“It’s hard,” Etienne murmured into Rune’s neck. “Easier with you.”

“Then damn the rest of them and their gossip,” Rune said firmly. “I don’t care what they say.”

“Me, either,” Etienne confessed, contented. “But…you’re alright?”

“I’m fine,” Rune said. “I was worried about you. And I missed you. But…I’m fine.”

“Rune,” Etienne breathed, nuzzling against Rune’s neck. “You saved me before, you saved me from Gissur again…gods. Thank you.”

“Of course I – ohhh,” Rune trailed off in a low moan as Etienne brushed his lips along the Imperial’s neck. “E-Etienne?”

“Rune,” Etienne murmured, kissing the man’s jaw; a bit of stubble tickled his lips. “I want…I want this. I want you. Is that…is that okay?” He finally pulled back and stared anxiously into Rune’s face.

“You – what?” Rune asked, hardly able to believe his ears. “You mean…me?”

“Yeah,” Etienne said, his eyes almost desperate. Rune stared at him for just a moment before pulling him forward and capturing his lips in a searing kiss once more. They both groaned into it, and Etienne pulled himself up so he was straddling Rune’s lap, his arms wrapped around the other man’s neck. “I’ll take that as a yes?” Etienne finally asked, pulling back just a little, a smirk on his face.

“Yes,” Rune agreed, bringing his fingers up to tangle in Etienne’s hair. “Yes, gods, yes.” And he pulled the Breton in for another kiss.

The Thalmor didn’t matter, Gissur didn’t matter, even the stupid woman from Dragon Bridge didn’t matter. He had Etienne in his arms, and the Breton clearly wanted him; nothing else was important.

Etienne was thinking much the same thing; nothing felt important, nothing else mattered, not now that he was here, finally, with Rune. The past week had been weighing on him more than he’d admit to anyone, even himself; with the way he felt about Rune now, it was almost as bad as being stuck in the dungeon again. The relief he felt with the Imperial now, though – it made him desperate.

They didn’t speak anymore, preferring to put their lips to better use. Rune broke away from Etienne’s mouth to trail kisses along his cheek and back to his ear, causing the man to shudder.

“Rune,” Etienne moaned softly, his fingers tugging at Rune’s scalp. Rune grinned against the Breton’s skin, pulling an earlobe between his teeth. “Rune!” Etienne gasped, his grip tightening on the Imperial.

“Like that?” Rune whispered, the Breton trembling in his grasp.

“Yes,” Etienne breathed, practically boneless in Rune’s arms now. Rune laughed softly, moving back to Etienne’s lips and gently nibbling the bottom one. He felt Etienne grinding against him slightly, seemingly unintentionally.

“You…ah…done this with a man before?” Rune asked, thinking ahead a little and realizing gratefully he had a bottle of oil in his pack that he’d meant to put away.

“Once,” Etienne said quietly. “A while ago. Do you…mind?” Rune smiled, pressing a kiss to the corner of Etienne’s lips.

“Of course not,” Rune said. “So have I. What with Sapphire…I wasn’t sure you were into men.”

“There’s a reason Sapphire and I didn’t work out,” Etienne said with a short laugh, resting his cheek against Rune’s for a moment. “Well, several, really.”

“Can’t say I’m sorry,” Rune said teasingly, running his hands up and down Etienne’s back. He was rather grateful the man had only been wearing casual trousers and a tunic rather than his Guild leathers.

“Me, either,” Etienne sighed, pleased at the touch of the Imperial’s deft fingers on his bare skin. He let his own hands drift to the many buckles on Rune’s armor, undoing them with a practiced touch; it helped that he had worn the same armor for a year or more. The pair patiently undressed one another above the waist, lingering touches interspersed with kisses both soft and fierce.

“Etienne,” Rune breathed, bringing a hand up to caress the Breton’s cheek.

“Mmm?” Etienne asked, unable to take his eyes off the handsome Imperial’s face.

“Don’t avoid me again,” Rune pleaded, a bit of hurt left in his voice.

“Never,” Etienne agreed, turning his head to kiss Rune’s palm. “And you. Don’t leave me again.”

“Never,” Rune promised. And then their lips were once more occupied in heated couplings, each attempting to devour the other. Etienne’s hands roamed over Rune’s now-bared torso, fingers tracing over a nipple and making the Imperial jump. Enjoying the response, the Breton thrust his tongue into Rune’s mouth as he gently pinched the nipple his fingers had found, causing Rune to groan loudly and pull Etienne closer.

Etienne was thoroughly enjoying getting to know what the Imperial liked; it was a bit intoxicating, finding just the right spot to touch, caress, or kiss that made Rune gasp. Rune was doing a fine job on his own, for that matter; Etienne was tingling from head to toe, every gentle touch of Rune’s making him ache for the man.

Rune’s hand slid down Etienne’s chest, stopping briefly at the waist of his trousers before tentatively moving lower, brushing over the prominent bulge in the front of them. Etienne jerked away involuntarily and then paused, hating what he’d just done.

“What’s wrong?” Rune asked anxiously, moving his hand away from Etienne but keeping the other on the Breton’s face. “What is it, Etienne?”

“I don’t – nothing,” Etienne said quickly, wishing he hadn’t reacted at all. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Rune was _not_ that horrible woman from the inn; what was he doing flinching away?

“Hey,” Rune said, his voice soft and compassionate. “Listen – if you don’t want…I mean, if this isn’t okay for you – “

“No,” Etienne said, his voice slightly angry. Why did it have to be like this? How was it fair? He wanted this – he wanted this so very desperately from the man in front of him! Why did his body have to react badly now? “No, I do! It…I just…”

“Shh,” Rune said softly, stroking his fingers through Etienne’s hair as the other hand brushed a thumb over the Breton’s lips. “It’s alright. I understand.” And he did. The man had been violated, Divine’s sake – it was hardly right of Rune to push this on him now.

“You don’t,” Etienne said, frustrated. He tried to pull away from Rune, mostly out of embarrassed annoyance with himself, but the Imperial held him fast.

“What don’t I understand?” Rune murmured, his voice still low and soothing. Etienne sighed, drooping a little in the Imperials lap as his head fell to looking toward the ground.

“I don’t want it to be like this,” Etienne mumbled. “I don’t want to think about _her_. I don’t want…gods!” he groaned, leaning forward until he hit Rune’s shoulder. “I just want to enjoy this. With you.” Rune was quiet for a moment, stroking Etienne’s hair as he held the Breton’s head to his shoulder.

“You want to keep going?” Rune finally asked.

“Yes,” Etienne whispered. “You’re not her.”

“No,” Rune agreed. “ _I_ don’t want to hurt you.”

“And I don’t want you to stop,” Etienne said against Rune’s skin. “I don’t want to _make_ you stop.”

“Then I won’t,” Rune resolved. It was hard to imagine simply continuing if the Breton flinched away from him, but if that’s what would help him… “I just…want you to be sure.”

“I’m sure,” Etienne promised, pressing his lips to the Imperial’s shoulder. 

“Then kiss me,” Rune pleaded, sitting still and letting the Breton move on his own, unwilling to push him. Etienne, it seemed, did not need telling twice; his lips were on Rune’s before the Imperial could blink, his kiss harsh and demanding. Rune groaned as Etienne nibbled his bottom lip; the Breton was being rougher, clearly full of desire.

Taking Etienne at his word, Rune let one hand rest on the Breton’s thigh as their tongues slid against one another, fighting for dominance. Rune’s tongue won out when Etienne gasped a moment later, Rune’s hand coming up to cup his length through his trousers once more. He still jerked away, though he fought hard not to, but Rune was patient and kept at it until Etienne had calmed enough to be still.

“Yes,” Etienne breathed, overwhelmed with the sensation and simply the idea of Rune being the one touching him there, of Rune being so patient with him, caring so much…

“You want to lie down?” Rune asked softly, running his fingers across the bulge in the Breton’s trousers as he spoke.

“Alright,” Etienne agreed, trembling again – this time, however, it was in desire rather than fear. The two maneuvered so they were lying on the blessedly soft ground, fully sheltered by the rocks. Rune was laying half on top of Etienne, one leg between the Breton’s as he gently kissed Etienne’s lips.

“Tell me what you want,” Rune murmured against the Breton’s soft lips. 

“You,” Etienne murmured back, his tongue flicking out to brush the Imperial’s lips. “I want to feel you, Rune. Please.” Rune shuddered with pleasure at the thought of pushing himself inside the Breton.

“Anything you like,” Rune promised, pressing a last kiss to Etienne’s lips before pulling back to watch the Breton’s face. He held Etienne’s head gently in one hand while the other trailed down the Breton’s chest, brushing through the soft hair there and moving down to the waist of his trousers. Rune’s deft fingers undid the laces in short order, pushing the thin fabric aside. Etienne’s eyes seemed unable to leave Rune’s face, and Rune’s eyes were likewise glued to Etienne’s reactions.

Rune reached into the undone trousers, grasping Etienne’s length. He swallowed nervously when Etienne tensed up at his touch, but he patiently continued, gently stroking the man.

“It’s alright,” he said reassuringly. “Just me.”

“You,” Etienne breathed out, nodding slightly. “Yes. Just you.” Etienne started to relax a little; it did feel extraordinarily good, Rune’s hand on him like this. Truly there was nothing to be anxious about; he wanted this, and Rune would never do anything to hurt him. This…this was divine. “ _Rune_.”

Rune smiled at the half-moaned exhalation, stroking the Breton more firmly. Etienne reacted enthusiastically, thrusting his hips up into Rune’s touch and closing his eyes.

“That’s right,” Rune murmured encouragingly, wanting the Breton to enjoy himself. Rune twisted his wrist, brushing his thumb over the tip of Etienne’s length, and Etienne cried out.

“Oh, gods, _Rune_ ,” he choked. Rune grinned; watching Etienne’s face as he did this was fascinating and arousing. He wasn’t interested in letting the Breton spill yet, though, and so he backed off, slowing down his strokes as he moved to kneel next to the man. Etienne whimpered piteously as he removed his hand.

“Hang on,” Rune chuckled. “I won’t let you wait for too long.”

“You better not,” Etienne said, and there was a bit of a pout to his voice. Rune couldn’t help but grin. The Breton was impatient, it seemed.

“Don’t worry,” Rune said reassuringly, and started to pull off Etienne’s trousers. The Breton lifted his hips to help and soon was lying before Rune, completely bared to the man. Rune couldn’t help swiftly running his eyes over Etienne, half-admiring the man and half simply checking him over. He was starting to fill out more; that was good. Looking healthier. And the bruises had faded almost entirely. He looked much healthier than when Rune had found him a week ago.

“That disturbing?” Etienne asked with a nervous laugh, anxiety on his face.

“You look amazing,” Rune assured the man, rubbing a hand along his calf. “I was just remembering how injured you looked…before. You’ve healed well.”

“Some,” Etienne said with a half-smile. “Still not…well…” Rune bent over, pressing his lips to Etienne’s to quiet him.

“You’re perfect, my friend,” Rune said sincerely, his voice soft. Etienne blushed a little, but looked quite pleased. Rune tried not to feel angry again at the stupid woman making Etienne feel insecure about that; it wasn’t important right now, and he had a naked and very willing Breton in front of him who wanted his attention. He smiled a little, kissing Etienne once again before getting to his feet and quickly shedding his own trousers, keeping the bottle of oil nearby.

He noticed Etienne watching him, a bit of a hungry look on his face, and grinned as he knelt between the Breton’s legs. He really did find the man quite perfect; sure, he needed to build up a little more of the weight he’d lost, and get his health back, but it hardly mattered.

Rune slid his hands up the Breton’s legs, letting one continue up his torso as the other ran over the man’s length. Etienne shuddered beneath him, eyes full of desire as he gazed up at Rune.

This man…this man who’d saved his life, possibly twice now; who’d comforted him, cared for him; this man that he’d ignored for a _week_ while letting himself go mad, even. The man in front of him…ready to give Etienne anything he asked for. 

He’d never been more grateful for anything in his life.

Rune’s grip on his length was one of the best things he’d felt in a very long time. The man’s hand was warm and just a little bit calloused; the rough spots brushed over him in the strangest way, and it made him squirm.

Rune’s other hand was making its way up Etienne’s thigh, and the Breton felt the other man spread his legs. When he felt gentle fingers pushing between his cheeks, he couldn’t stop a squeak issuing from his throat.

Rune grinned; clearly the man was sensitive. It was greatly arousing to see Etienne squirming before him like this. He brushed a finger gently over the Breton’s puckered opening, wrenching a desperate groan from the man’s throat.

“Ready for that?” Rune asked quietly, his voice strangled a little with his own desire. His own length was desperate for attention, but he knew it would come soon enough.

“Yes,” Etienne whined, his fingers clenching against the ground. “Yes…please…” The pleading tone sent shivers through Rune. Drawing his finger around the puckered hole once more and making Etienne thrust up into his hand, Rune pulled away and grabbed the bottle of oil. Etienne moaned at the loss, though he knew it was only going to hurt without the stuff; he just didn’t want to keep waiting.

“Turn over,” Rune murmured, coating his fingers in the oil thoroughly. Dazed as he was, Etienne still managed to roll over onto his knees as asked, presenting Rune with a lovely view. “Gods, Rarnis.” He was having a hard time containing himself now. Etienne wriggled a little in anticipation.

Setting the bottle down nearby, Rune put one callous-roughened hand on one cheek, pulling at it just a little as the fingers of his other hand ran down the cleft between.

“Rune,” Etienne moaned as Rune stroked over the puckered hole again, his fingers slippery this time. Rune gently rubbed around it, making Etienne thrash.

“You’re so sensitive,” Rune marveled, enjoying himself thoroughly.

“Nnnggh!!” was Etienne’s incoherent reply. Rune grinned, pressing the tip of a finger inside the man. “Gods!” Etienne choked out.

“Alright?” Rune checked, not wanting to hurt the man. Gods, he was so tight…whatever he’d done before, it had clearly been a very long time since.

“Yesss,” Etienne hissed as Rune pushed his finger further into the man. “Yes…gods…”

Etienne felt as though his head was spinning, though the ground anchored him well. He’d been interested in Rune for a while, but he hadn’t dared think it could come to this! After everything that had happened, he was far more desperate for release than he’d realized – he hadn’t exactly thought about it much while being a Thalmor captive, and what that stupid woman in Dragon Bridge had done hardly counted for anything.

This, though…feeling someone inside of him like this…feeling _Rune_ inside of him like this! It was divine, utterly divine, and Etienne never wanted it to end. The Imperial clearly knew what he was doing; he was just as gentle as Etienne needed him to be, but forceful enough that it felt incredible. Suddenly Rune hit the spot within the Breton that made him gasp and buck his hips onto the Imperial’s fingers.

“That’s it,” Rune said, his voice shaking with restraint. Gods, but he was enjoying watching this man come undone by his hand!

“More,” Etienne groaned desperately. “Please, Rune…more!” Rune rubbed his finger persistently over that lump of tissue inside the Breton for just a moment longer, then removed his finger. A moment later, a second one had joined the first, spreading Etienne wider. “Yes!” Etienne choked hoarsely.

 _Divines, he’s noisy_ , Rune thought to himself with a satisfied grin. It wasn’t as though anyone was likely to overhear them anyway. And he didn’t much care if they did.

“Rune, please,” Etienne begged, driving himself onto Rune’s fingers. “Please…I want you…gods.”

“Alright,” Rune said, trying to soothe the desperate man in front of him. This wasn’t going to end up lasting long, he was sure.

Oh well. Time enough for slow teasing later. He had his first chance with the Breton, and he wasn’t about to put it off.

He took the oil again and coated his throbbing length with it – dear gods, even his own fingers felt amazing, desperate as he was! He wondered if he might end up hurting the Breton anyway; he was larger than Etienne. Resolving that he would simply go slowly, he stilled Etienne’s desperately writhing hips with one hand, the other guiding his length to Etienne’s entrance.

“Rune,” Etienne almost sobbed, feeling Rune’s head against him. Oh, gods, he wanted this…he wanted this so very badly…

“Tell me if I hurt you,” Rune whispered before slowly starting to press himself into the man in front of him. By the gods, the Breton was tight – and the _heat_! Divines help him, the heat would drive him to madness.

Etienne stilled as he felt Rune pressing into him; it was more than he had really expected, even having seen the man already. He tried to stay relaxed and keep his breathing calm. It had really been far too long. It felt incredible, being stretched so much by the man behind him, the kind, considerate, wonderful friend of a man he was now taking inside himself. 

And then…it started to hurt, just a little. Etienne bit his lip, trying not to cry out and waiting for the burning to go away; Rune was larger than anything he’d ever had, and it was a bit overwhelming. After what may have been several hours, or perhaps just a short moment, Etienne felt Rune’s head slide inside him properly, and he cried out. Rune stilled immediately.

“Etienne?” Rune whispered, barely daring to breathe.

“It’s…okay,” Etienne breathed back, his voice tight. “Just…give me a minute.”

“Been a while,” Rune said sympathetically, bringing a hand up to stroke the Breton’s back soothingly. “As long as you need, friend.” It was killing him to stay so still; feeling the Breton’s tightness around his head was maddening, and he wanted nothing more than to press himself all the way inside the other man. But he couldn’t hurt him; he would never hurt him. And so he managed to keep his patience.

Soon enough, he started to feel Etienne relaxing around him a little, saw the muscles in his back lose their tension. He left one hand stroking Etienne’s back while the other slid gently over the Breton’s hip, tracing gentle circles to relax him.

“Right,” Etienne finally breathed. “I…I’m alright.” He was starting to feel a bit desperate again; now that it wasn’t hurting so much, he just wanted to feel the Imperial; _all_ of him.

“You sure?” Rune asked, unwilling to rush this.

“Yes,” Etienne practically whimpered. Rune smiled, one hand stilling to hold Etienne’s hips while the other hand continued to gently stroke the Breton’s skin. The Imperial began pushing inside the Breton again, watching him intently for any sign that something was wrong. He could see every heaving breath Etienne let out, watched the man’s fingers curling against the dirt and grass beneath them, saw his muscles contract and release in turn as he took more of Rune inside him.

“Divines,” Rune whimpered as he settled himself fully against the Breton. He could feel Etienne trembling. “Alright?”

“Yes,” Etienne said, even his voice shaking though he was quite sincere. “Yes…” It felt amazing; even the idea of it being the Imperial who was filling him so thoroughly was making everything so much better. It was such a powerful feeling; it had been so long since he’d done this, he’d nearly forgotten how intense it was. He pressed back into Rune experimentally, making the other man groan. The guttural sound made him throb. 

Rune took the action as an okay to start moving; he slid himself back out of the Breton, his pace agonizingly slow, as Etienne cried out meaningless pieces of words. Rune had the presence of mind to reach for the oil bottle again, using just a bit more on his length before sliding back inside Etienne, more roughly this time.

“Yes!” Etienne cried out, his head falling to the ground beneath them in his pleasure. “Rune!” The Imperial no longer found it possible to go slowly; though he hadn’t had much time to get ready, he could feel his impending release already. Something about this Breton…the tightness, the heat, and the simple fact that it was his dear friend Etienne he was currently inside of…it made it impossible to last.

“I won’t…last…long,” Rune confessed as he picked up the pace, not quite slamming into the Breton but fairly close to it anyway.

“Touch me,” Etienne begged through gasps of pleasure. “Please!” He felt Rune lean over him as he thrust again, the warm hand finding his pulsing length. “Oh gods,” Etienne moaned as Rune began to stroke him, matching each thrust with a swift stroke of his length. He was moaning incoherently, he knew he was loud but he couldn’t do anything about it if he’d wanted to. Rune sliding in and out of him, past the tight ring of muscle and hitting the bundle of tissue inside him with every thrust; Rune’s rough hand stroking him exactly the right way. Rune’s encouraging words.

“That’s right, Etienne,” Rune said, gritting his teeth as he tried to focus on the other man and not his own release. “Yes, oh yes. Gods…” He felt the Breton tighten around him – how was it possible to tighten even _further_?! – and a hoarse cry of Rune’s name told him the other man was there. “Come for me, Rarnis. Yes…gods!” Before Etienne could finish, a loud growl was ripped from Rune’s own throat as the Breton’s tightness pulled his release from him, the force of it nearly throwing him off balance.

Rune felt Etienne sag beneath him, muscles weakened as much as Rune’s own. Panting, he moved his hand from Etienne’s length and wrapped his arms around the Breton’s torso as best he could at this angle, holding him tightly.

“Gods,” he murmured against the sweaty skin of the Breton’s back. Etienne was trying to catch his breath; that had been like nothing he’d ever felt before in his life. He was grateful when the Imperial wrapped his arms around him; he needed the man’s comfort like he needed air.

“Rune,” Etienne murmured, and was a bit surprised at how thick his voice was. It took him a moment to realize his blurry vision was not due to his release, but to tears clouding his eyes.

What was the _matter_ with him??

“Etienne,” Rune said softly, squeezing the man gently. “Are you alright?” Dammit. And Rune had _heard_.

“’Course I am,” Etienne mumbled, annoyed with himself.

Rune was concerned; it sounded like the man was crying. Was he really alright? He let go of the Breton and gently slid himself out of him, letting Etienne sink to the ground entirely. Rune moved so he was next to Etienne, wrapping his arms around the man and pulling him close.

“What’s the matter?” Rune asked softly, fingers gently stroking the Breton’s back. “Was this not…should I not have…?”

“No,” Etienne said at once, enjoying the Imperial’s embrace. “It’s fine. I promise. I’m just…ridiculous.” He was already calming down; what had come over him then?

“It’s alright,” Rune murmured, pressing his lips gently to the Breton’s head. “You’ve had a bit of an intense time lately.”

“A bit,” Etienne agreed with a small chuckle. It was starting to hit him; he’d had sex with _Rune_. His best friend, the handsome Imperial who’d welcomed him so kindly into the Guild, the man who’d saved him – the man he cared for so much. The man he’d spend the last week going without – and they’d finally done it! His small chuckle turned into a more hearty laugh, and he saw that Rune looked quite bewildered when he pulled back.

“Rarnis, what -?”

“Sorry,” Etienne laughed, unable to stop as he clutched the Imperial to him. “Sorry. I just…can’t…believe…” he stopped to breathe, trying to get his laughter under control. “After all this…this is what I come out with, in the end.”

“What?” Rune asked, confused. The sound of the man’s laughter, however, was downright thrilling; it seemed like so long since he’d heard him laugh like this.

“Being buggered by the man who saved my life, in the middle of the woods outside Riften!” Etienne cackled, the sentence sounding ridiculous. Rune couldn’t help a chuckle himself.

“Is that a bad way to end up?” Rune asked, half-serious.

“No,” Etienne choked against another fit of laughter, trying to hold it in. “It’s the best I could imagine.” And with a huge grin on his face, he tangled his fingers in Rune’s hair, pulling the man closer to him and pressing his lips to the Imperial’s in a harsh kiss. “Thank you, Rune,” he said, quite serious now as he pulled away.

“What for?” Rune asked, equally serious as he brushed a strand of Etienne’s hair out of the man’s face. 

“Being what I needed,” Etienne said softly. Rune smiled.

“Anytime,” he replied.

*****

That evening in the Ragged Flagon, most of the Guild members were sitting around one of the central tables. Dirge, after hearing what Gissur had done, had taken care of the man himself. The Thalmor were no longer patrolling the Ratway, as it seemed their quarry was gone. It was all quite strange, and no one seemed to know much of what happened, but it left them in peace, so no one could complain.

Their recently missing Guild member, Etienne, was in the middle of it all, joking and laughing as he had always done. While his friend Rune had always been nearby in the past, that evening the two couldn’t seem to stay apart. Such was the happiness radiating off both of them that even Sapphire couldn’t come up with a snarky comment for them.

“Told you,” Brynjolf smirked, keeping his voice low at the edge of the tavern. Vex gave him a dirty look, passing him five septims.

“Fine,” Vex said, shaking her head. “You win this time, old man.” Brynjolf chuckled as Vex walked away, thoroughly annoyed about losing their bet. It hadn’t taken the red-haired Nord more than five minutes to spot that the two men had belonged together from the beginning. Watching Etienne throw his head back in laughter, Rune grinning with an arm around the Breton, Brynjolf grinned, too.

Much as he liked the five septims, there was a far better reason for being right this time around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there we go. A happy ending is always a good one.
> 
> I hope you liked it - I tried hard with these two, because I just love Etienne and think he deserved a bit of comfort and happiness after what happened to him.
> 
> If you enjoyed it, leave kudos or even a comment :) They make my day! Thanks for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve always had a soft spot for poor little Etienne, and I finally stumbled upon the idea of sweet Rune as the perfect match for him – it fit so well I had to write this! I love kudos and comments, so thank you for them if you choose to give them :D


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